ROCKINGHAM — One of the nation’s largest obstacle race events, Rugged Maniac, will bring crazy obstacles, a wild festival and more than 6,000 revelers to Rockingham Dragway on Saturday.
Boston-based Rugged Maniac is an international event series that encourages people of all ages, shapes and sizes to get off their couches and do something fun and physical with their Saturday. Adrenaline seekers from across the region will tackle 25 unique and challenging obstacles spread along a three-mile off-road course, including underground tunnels, warped walls, balance beams fire jumps, trampolines and the popular 50-foot water slide.
The Rugged Maniac stop at the dragway will be the first of two North Carolina events in the 2016 season, with the second one set to take place in October.
The day-long festival will also feature an array of entertainment including dance parties, mechanical bulls, adult bounce houses, beer, food and exhibition booths. The reward for all the mayhem is an event T-shirt, free action photos of oneself on the course, a Rugged Maniac medal and, for those of age, a free beer.
This marks the sixth consecutive year that Rugged Maniac has held an event in the state, and the second time it has come to Rockingham.
“As a kid growing up in North Carolina, we had ample opportunities to get outdoors and have fun,” said Rob Dickens, chief operating officer of Rugged Maniac and native of Southport. “From building tree houses in the woods near my home to surfing the big waves pushed up by offshore hurricanes, being active in nature with friends was a big part of life. Rugged Maniac is an extension of that. It’s a way for adults to feel like kids again by playing in the mud with our friends, except now we don’t have to worry about our moms yelling at us when we get home.”
Dickens and Rugged Maniac CEO Brad Scudder appeared on ABC’s hit TV show “Shark Tank” last year, where they enticed famed businessman and billionaire Mark Cuban to invest $1.75 million in the company.
According to a Rockingham Dragway press release, the Rugged Maniac series has fostered a number of imitators but has set itself apart by requiring no additional spectator fee, no mandatory insurance fee, no preferred start time and no elite heat fee.
“The success of our events reflects the fact that people want more adventure and excitement in their lives,” Dickens said. “They want to get out of their normal routine and be a kid again. That’s exactly what we provide.”
Tickets are available online at www.ruggedmaniac.com and are priced at $100, plus taxes. They can also be purchased on the day of the event.
Student and military personnel with valid identification receive $10 off, and spectators get in free.
Reach reporter Matt Harrelson at 910-817-2674 and follow him on Twitter @mattyharrelson.