cancel2 2022
Canceled
Tough Guy Challenge 2010
The 24th annual Tough Guy Challenge took place last weekend, on Sunday, January 31st, on South Perton Farm, near Wolverhampton, England. Despite being billed as "the safest most dangerous taste of physical and mental endurance pain in the world", this year's race still attracted over 5,000 men and women - all of them signing a disclaimer saying "It's my own bloody fault for being here". About 600 racers did not complete the course this year - the winner being Paul Jones of Oswestry, England, completing the course in one hour 18 minutes. The Challenge is annual event to raise cash for charity with funds going to the Mr. Mouse Farm for Unfortunates. Special thanks today to photographer Mike King, who was kind enough to share 16 of his great photographs of the 2010 Tough Guy Challenge below. (31 photos total)
A competitor emerges from muddy water during the Tough Guy Challenge, at South Perton Farm, in Wolverhampton, England, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010. Thousands run the biannual assault course, and are challenged by 21 different obstacles, including, fire, tunnels, and swamps to complete the track. (© Mike King)
2
Men and women scramble down a hillside at the start of the Tough Guy Challenge in Wolverhampton, England on January 31, 2010. (REUTERS/Nigel Roddis) #
3
Racers run towards an obstacle at the beginning of the Tough Guy Challenge in Wolverhampton, England on January 31, 2010. (© Mike King) #
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A man hesitates on a Tough Guy Challenge obstacle. Photographer Mike King: "You're meant to jump in, this fella froze for about 30 seconds and it made me laugh. But I did feel sorry for him and some people bypassed it." (© Mike King) #
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Competitors crawl on their bellies through icy mud beneath barbed wire in Wolverhampton, England on January 31, 2010. (© Mike King) #
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The face of a Tough Guy racer crawling through barbed wire during the Tough Guy Challenge, in South Perton Farm, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2009. (AP Photo/Simon Dawson) #
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Competitors emerge from one watery obstacle, heading toward another. (REUTERS/Nigel Roddis) #
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A Tough Guy racer crawls over chunks of muddy ice beneath barbed wire during the Tough Guy Challenge on January 31, 2010. (AP Photo/Simon Dawson) #
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Competitors run through smoke during the Tough Guy event in Perton, central England, January 31, 2010. (REUTERS/Nigel Roddis) #
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Tough Guy Challenge founder and organizer Billy "Mr. Mouse" Walker observing the 2010 event at South Perton Farm, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2009. (© Mike King) #
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Competitors navigate a rope course during the Tough Guy Challenge on January 31, 2010. (AP Photo/Simon Dawson) #
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A racer, covered in mud, water and facepaint, makes his way across a rope bridge as part of the 2010 Tough Guy Challenge. (© Mike King) #
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A female Tough Guy competitor emerges the barbed wire obstacle on January 31, 2010. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) #
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A Tough Guy Challenge racer, rooster mask hanging askew, pauses in the cold mud on January 31, 2010. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) #
15
A competitor hurdles fire as he takes part in the Tough Guy 2010 race on January 31, 2010. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) #
16
A mid-race portrait of mud-covered Tough Guy participants, photo taken January 31, 2010. (© Mike King) #
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A competitor dressed as Superman looks dejected as he takes part in the Tough Guy 2010 race on January 31, 2010. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) #
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A Tough Guy racer hurdles through a fire obstacle on January 31, 2010. (© Mike King) #
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Tough Guy Challenge racers, dressed as Spartans, pause and prepare for glory at a fire obstacle on South Perton Farm, in Wolverhampton, England, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010. (© Mike King) #
20
A man races through a fire obstacle during the Tough Guy Challenge, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010. (AP Photo/Simon Dawson) #
21
Mud-caked shoes of a Tough Guy Challenge racer as they scale an obstacle on January 31, 2010. (© Mike King) #
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Paul Jones, the eventual winner of the Tough Guy 2010 Challenge, falls as he crashes through snow-covered ice, the first racer through this particular water obstacle. (© Mike King) #
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A man carries a sheet of ice as he emerges from the water during the Tough Guy 2010 race on January 31, 2010. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) #
24
A racer poses as he emerges from a tunnel obstacle during the Tough Guy 2010 race on January 31, 2010. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) #
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A racer leaps over a fire obstacle on January 31, 2010 in Wolverhampton, England. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) #
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A muddy RoboCop leaps into a water obstacle, flames in the background, on South Perton Farm, in Wolverhampton, England, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010. (© Mike King) #
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Thumbs-up and smiles, filthy but happy Tough Guy competitors wade through a muddy obstacle on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010. (© Mike King) #
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A Tough Guy racer shakes off mud as he emerges from a water obstacle on Jan. 31, 2010. (© Mike King) #
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A competitor spits out a mouthful of muddy water as he takes part in the Tough Guy 2010 race on January 31, 2010. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) #
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A helmeted Tough Guy Challenge racer sheds muddy water as he takes a breath, emerging from a water obstacle on Jan. 31, 2010. (© Mike King) #
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A pair of Tough Guy racers pose during the Tough Guy Challenge, at South Perton Farm, in Wolverhampton, England, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010. (© Mike King) #
More links and information
The 24th annual Tough Guy Challenge took place last weekend, on Sunday, January 31st, on South Perton Farm, near Wolverhampton, England. Despite being billed as "the safest most dangerous taste of physical and mental endurance pain in the world", this year's race still attracted over 5,000 men and women - all of them signing a disclaimer saying "It's my own bloody fault for being here". About 600 racers did not complete the course this year - the winner being Paul Jones of Oswestry, England, completing the course in one hour 18 minutes. The Challenge is annual event to raise cash for charity with funds going to the Mr. Mouse Farm for Unfortunates. Special thanks today to photographer Mike King, who was kind enough to share 16 of his great photographs of the 2010 Tough Guy Challenge below. (31 photos total)
A competitor emerges from muddy water during the Tough Guy Challenge, at South Perton Farm, in Wolverhampton, England, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010. Thousands run the biannual assault course, and are challenged by 21 different obstacles, including, fire, tunnels, and swamps to complete the track. (© Mike King)
2
Men and women scramble down a hillside at the start of the Tough Guy Challenge in Wolverhampton, England on January 31, 2010. (REUTERS/Nigel Roddis) #
3
Racers run towards an obstacle at the beginning of the Tough Guy Challenge in Wolverhampton, England on January 31, 2010. (© Mike King) #
4
A man hesitates on a Tough Guy Challenge obstacle. Photographer Mike King: "You're meant to jump in, this fella froze for about 30 seconds and it made me laugh. But I did feel sorry for him and some people bypassed it." (© Mike King) #
5
Competitors crawl on their bellies through icy mud beneath barbed wire in Wolverhampton, England on January 31, 2010. (© Mike King) #
6
The face of a Tough Guy racer crawling through barbed wire during the Tough Guy Challenge, in South Perton Farm, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2009. (AP Photo/Simon Dawson) #
7
Competitors emerge from one watery obstacle, heading toward another. (REUTERS/Nigel Roddis) #
8
A Tough Guy racer crawls over chunks of muddy ice beneath barbed wire during the Tough Guy Challenge on January 31, 2010. (AP Photo/Simon Dawson) #
9
Competitors run through smoke during the Tough Guy event in Perton, central England, January 31, 2010. (REUTERS/Nigel Roddis) #
10
Tough Guy Challenge founder and organizer Billy "Mr. Mouse" Walker observing the 2010 event at South Perton Farm, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2009. (© Mike King) #
11
Competitors navigate a rope course during the Tough Guy Challenge on January 31, 2010. (AP Photo/Simon Dawson) #
12
A racer, covered in mud, water and facepaint, makes his way across a rope bridge as part of the 2010 Tough Guy Challenge. (© Mike King) #
13
A female Tough Guy competitor emerges the barbed wire obstacle on January 31, 2010. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) #
14
A Tough Guy Challenge racer, rooster mask hanging askew, pauses in the cold mud on January 31, 2010. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) #
15
A competitor hurdles fire as he takes part in the Tough Guy 2010 race on January 31, 2010. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) #
16
A mid-race portrait of mud-covered Tough Guy participants, photo taken January 31, 2010. (© Mike King) #
17
A competitor dressed as Superman looks dejected as he takes part in the Tough Guy 2010 race on January 31, 2010. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) #
18
A Tough Guy racer hurdles through a fire obstacle on January 31, 2010. (© Mike King) #
19
Tough Guy Challenge racers, dressed as Spartans, pause and prepare for glory at a fire obstacle on South Perton Farm, in Wolverhampton, England, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010. (© Mike King) #
20
A man races through a fire obstacle during the Tough Guy Challenge, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010. (AP Photo/Simon Dawson) #
21
Mud-caked shoes of a Tough Guy Challenge racer as they scale an obstacle on January 31, 2010. (© Mike King) #
22
Paul Jones, the eventual winner of the Tough Guy 2010 Challenge, falls as he crashes through snow-covered ice, the first racer through this particular water obstacle. (© Mike King) #
23
A man carries a sheet of ice as he emerges from the water during the Tough Guy 2010 race on January 31, 2010. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) #
24
A racer poses as he emerges from a tunnel obstacle during the Tough Guy 2010 race on January 31, 2010. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) #
25
A racer leaps over a fire obstacle on January 31, 2010 in Wolverhampton, England. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) #
26
A muddy RoboCop leaps into a water obstacle, flames in the background, on South Perton Farm, in Wolverhampton, England, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010. (© Mike King) #
27
Thumbs-up and smiles, filthy but happy Tough Guy competitors wade through a muddy obstacle on Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010. (© Mike King) #
28
A Tough Guy racer shakes off mud as he emerges from a water obstacle on Jan. 31, 2010. (© Mike King) #
29
A competitor spits out a mouthful of muddy water as he takes part in the Tough Guy 2010 race on January 31, 2010. (Michael Regan/Getty Images) #
30
A helmeted Tough Guy Challenge racer sheds muddy water as he takes a breath, emerging from a water obstacle on Jan. 31, 2010. (© Mike King) #
31
A pair of Tough Guy racers pose during the Tough Guy Challenge, at South Perton Farm, in Wolverhampton, England, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010. (© Mike King) #
More links and information
