YOUR AD HERE »

Dirty Dash returns to Soldier Hollow with 7,000 participants

Participants run through a field of mud at Soldier Hollow during the Dirty Dash on Saturday. The 5K event featured numerous obstacles, including a massive slip and slide.
Tanzi Propst/Park Record | The Park Record

Soldier Hollow was transformed into a muddy obstacle course on Saturday as the Dirty Dash returned for its ninth summer event. According to Ryan Creighton, event director, about 7,000 people participated in the Dash, which consisted of 15 obstacles over 5 kilometers of muddy terrain.

Creighton described the event as a “gateway drug.”

“It gets those people that have never done much in running before to get out and try other marathon events and 10Ks,” he said.



Creighton said the Dash started coming to Soldier Hollow in 2010, and has visited twice a year since. It also travels to Washington, Oregon, New Mexico and Montana.

“We’re like a bunch of carnies,” he said.



And everywhere they travel, the Dash brings its obstacles, including a giant pig head that blows bubbles and foam, which they call the Pig Pen.

“But the main attraction is our slip and slide,” Creighton said. “We don’t want to be associated with barbed wire, or fire – that’s been done.”

Instead, Creighton said the Dash is geared toward all ages with all levels of fitness, bonded by a common appreciation for mud.

“If you don’t like our monkey bars, you can walk around,” he said, commenting on the relaxed nature of the race. “We have some people say, ‘I’m afraid of heights,’ who don’t want to do our slip and slide. I tell them, ‘Just wait at the bottom and watch your friend go down and their smiles when they get to the bottom. By the time they get down, you’re going to want to walk back up and do it.’”

The Dirty Dash will return to Soldier Hollow on Sept. 15. For more information go to http://www.thedirtydash.com.


Support Local Journalism

Support Local Journalism

Readers around Park City and Summit County make the Park Record's work possible. Your financial contribution supports our efforts to deliver quality, locally relevant journalism.

Now more than ever, your support is critical to help us keep our community informed about the evolving coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having locally. Every contribution, however large or small, will make a difference.

Each donation will be used exclusively for the development and creation of increased news coverage.