PRINTColumbia goes to the extreme
Last Saturday Columbians turned out to the most unusual race in the area
Chelsea Goodwin
November 20, 2008 | 12:00 a.m. CST
From cuts and bruises to freezing temperatures, the 2008 Cross Country Xtreme race Saturday, Nov. 15, was packed with hard-core racers, hard-core trails and, above all, hard-core costumes. With 16 sponsors ranging from Tryathletics, The Blue Note, to Shakespeare’s Pizza, participants were rewarded well for their nuttiness.
In its fifth year, 240 participants came out to Midway Sandbar dressed to impress as their alter ego of choice to run in this unconventional 4-mile race. The event offered a crazy twist to typical cross-country races. According to director Mike Denehy, 32, the race has expanded from 40 participants in its first year in 2003 to a whopping 250 participants last year. What’s the cause of such growth? “Word of mouth,” Denehy says.
Related LinksFrom Captain Crunch to a 9-year-old vagrant with a sign that says, “I will run for food,” every character imaginable participated in the race filled with steep, muddy ditches and tunnels of terror. “We try and take out the race element because the costume and mud contests are more important to us,” Denehy says. Denehy has no idea just how important they are to runners in the area. “We came for the mud,” says Jenny Paul, 15. “We love mud.” Paul, a first-year competitor who came decked in ‘80s attire with a hint of Tupac appeal, drove an hour from Sedalia to get dressed up, play in the mud and run for fun.
Others provided shock appeal to the already jaw-dropping event. It was like a rainbow. A rainbow of high school boys. One in blue, another in orange and 12 others in various colors of the rainbow. But in a morning with visible flurries and a temperature below freezing, it’s probably not the smartest idea to wear nothing but a bandana in the form of a loin cloth. But to these bandana boys, every second of freezing wind whipping across their bare chests was worth it. “We drove an hour and a half from Independence to get here,” Bray Addison, 17, says. “I love this race because you get to army crawl, get scared by a guy with a chain saw, and this is the only time when it’s legal to be half naked.”
Although some just came for a dirty good time, others like Derek Fox, 37, who came dressed in a baby blue spaghetti strap dress with Schnucks bags rolled up on his chest, learned valuable life lessons. “I have a whole new appreciation for women,” Fox says. “Four strangers have already felt me up and three people have grabbed my butt.” As Fox ran past the finish line, his first plan of business was to rearrange his slowly drooping Schnucks bags. “I lost my right boob five times,” he says with a smirk.
Just as the anticipation reached its peak, the awards were announced. For the main event, the costume contest, the top two winners took home trophies and gift certificates from either Walt’s Bicycle & Fitness or Cycle Extreme Bicycle Warehouse. A Mr. Clean look-a-like won second place, while a clan of cereal characters including Tony the Tiger and Count Chocula took home the pride and glory as the XCX costume contest winners. Rock Bridge High School’s cross country team won the $500 “Coolest School” contest by having the most participants from one high school.
As the race came to an end, runners new and old were already brainstorming future costume ideas. “I’ve participated in this race for four years,” says Sherry Corwin, 49. “It’s so different than anything else I’ve ever done.” When asked if she would be returning next year, Corwin replied, “Oh, yeah, I’m coming back for many years to come.” Columbians and those from surrounding areas proved to have what it takes to wake up at the crack of dawn, battle freezing temperatures and run a four-mile trail through some truly extreme conditions. And they did it all in less-than-comfortable costumes and while wearing smiles — with a hint of mud on their faces.
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