It's a 5K summertime race like no other, and it's coming to Mid-Michigan.
"You're climbing over cars, you're running through trees. I think there's a water feature. I know there's a mud feature and fire," Genesee County Parks Program Specialist Nancy Edwards said.
The Warrior Dash will take over the Cummins Center in Genesee Township on July 30. The two-day festival is being held by Red Frog Events and is part of a 21-state tour.
This will be the only stop in Michigan. "There are already 11,564 people registered. It's huge," Edwards said.
Not bad, considering the race was only approved in January. Costumes and craziness aside, the Warrior Dash is still a competitive race.
"You'll have a chip to wear and you'll be timed. And at the end, winners will be selected," Genesee County Parks Deputy Director Ron Walker said.
Organizers have no intention of competing against the Crim. They hope to complement it. "It's like another training race for the Crim. I think a lot of people that are running the Crim will be in this race also," Walker said.
Besides the actual race, Walker says plenty of other plans are also coming together. "There will be a live band playing all day and fireworks at the end of the day."
When you add in the spectators with the runners, the Genesee County Parks Department hopes to bring in around 40,000 people over those two days for the Warrior Dash.
Edwards would love to see this become an annual event. "All of these people are coming from 4-5 hours away. They'll spend the night in our hotels, they'll eat at our restaurants, so this is a huge boost for our economy."
Registration was for the Warrior Dash is $50.
