Running was popular in Europe long before it caught on in America, which is why most races are measured in kilometers instead of miles and why most of the Pilgrims were eaten by bears. Race to the top of the food chain with today's Groupon: for $39, you get one entry to The Hog Wild Mud Run in Brooksville on Saturday, November 5 (an $89 value). There are nine waves of participants that depart every 30 minutes from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Benefiting Seeds of Hope, The Hog Wild Mud Run leads racers of all shapes and sizes through a three-mile obstacle course with top-time and top-costume awards afterward. Racers attack a muddy elliptical course that will have between eight and 13 obstacles, including several surprises. Scale the Hill O' Dirt, splash across the Pond Slide, clamber over the Cow Pen Cargo Net, make fodder of Hay Mountain, and wait patiently for the Farmer's Surprise. For those who don't enter the race or have finished the race, a spectators' area affords views of 80% of the obstacles, and a projection screen will display a live feed of the obscured obstacles and Dustin Hoffman napping on his sofa.
Chip timers determine race winners, with the top three male and female times of each wave receiving a trophy, along with recognition of the best-costumed racer. After the run, participants can toast their victory over food and beer (at an additional charge, for those 21 and older). Showers and hoses can wash away dirt, grime, and the tears cried after saying "yes" to a wedding proposal while rolling in mud.
The Beer Crawl
There's no telling who you'll run into on a Beer Crawl crawl—past events have seen stormtroopers, cowboys, and even a brace of rarely spotted Waldos. Thanks to themed costume contests that run the gamut from neon '80s wear to masked superheroes to a holiday-themed "ugly sweater crawl," attendees of all stripes race or meander between trendy area venues. At each one, they enjoy free beer and drink specials as DJs spin popular tunes and supervise games such as Flip Cup or Figure Out What Channel the Game Is On. Participating bars vary, but can include watering holes such as Yard of Ale and MacDinton's, among many others.