Robin Amonett, human resources manager at Stewart-Richey Services Group, has participated for three years with a team in the Family Enrichment Center’s Mud Happens: One Bad Mud Run.

“It’s exhausting. It’s a really good time,” she said. “It’s a good opportunity for us as co-workers to do something outside the workplace to bring camaraderie. It’s kind of a team bonding experience.”

The group members meet on the morning of the run and “have at it,” Amonett said.

“Some of us are a little slower than others, but we’ve all made it with no significant injures. We don’t do it for the athletics,” she said. “It’s for a good cause. It brings awareness and raises money for a charity. It’s awesome.”

Presented by Super Home Surplus, the mud run will be Aug. 27 at Phil Moore Park at 7101 Scottsville Road in Alvaton. The first race will be at 8 a.m. with heats every 15 minutes until 11 a.m. Heats at 8 a.m., 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. will be timed. There will be water stations throughout the course. Concessions will be available. The event will happen rain or shine.

“It is a three-mile run that has built obstacles. There are muddy areas where you have to crawl under, crawl over, crawl through, rappel or climb up creekside. At the end we have a big hill,” said Denise Lambrianou, coordinator for the Family Enrichment Center’s Adoption Resource Program. “We try to use as much of the natural surroundings as we can. Some (of the run) goes in and out of Drakes Creek. There’s a big slip and slide. There’s a steeplechase.”

Cost through July 23 is $40 per person, $140 for a team of four and $35 for each additional person. From July 24 through Aug. 26, cost is $50 per person, $180 for a team of four and $45 for each additional person. Cost the morning of the run is $60 per person, $220 for a team of four and $55 for each additional person. To register, go to the Family Enrichment Center office at 1133 Adams St., online at mudhappensfec.com or from 9 to 11 a.m. Aug. 20 at Bowling Green Athletic Club at 1640 Scottsville Road.

Proceeds directly benefit Family Enrichment Center programs, including Wee Care Nursery, adoption resource programs, parenting education classes, supervised visitation program and Parents as Teachers program.

“It’s not used for administrative purposes,” Lambrianou said.

Kids 10 to 12 years old must have a paid guardian or parent running with them. Kids 9 and under have the free Kids Muddy Challenge. A parent or guardian must stay with them, Lambrianou said.

“We will have staff watching the kids, but we’re not there to babysit,” she said.

People are encouraged to dress in costume, Lambrianou said.

“There’s an award for the best male costume, female costume and group costume,” she said. “We have awards for the fastest male and female and for the dirtiest and cleanest (people).”

Participants shouldn’t wear anything they don’t want ruined, Lambrianou said.

Participants can give their keys and wallets to organizers in a quart-sized plastic bag, Lambrianou said.

“We encourage them to bring the least amount possible. We try to tell people to be there 30 minutes before they run,” she said. “This will give them a chance to take their T-shirts and goodie bags back to their cars.”

There’s usually a crowd that goes out at each heat, but some obstacles thin out the crowd, Lambrianou said.

“You’ll get muddy. If you don’t, you didn’t do it right. It’s fun,” she said. “You should be getting dirty. If getting dirty’s not your thing, then you shouldn’t be doing this.”

If there’s an obstacle they can’t handle, they can go around it, Lambrianou said.

“We don’t want anybody to get hurt,” she said. “We want everybody to have a good time.”

— Follow features reporter Alyssa Harvey on Twitter @bgdnfeatures or visit bgdailynews.com.