A contestant lets go of a rope as she swings out over a muddy pool. (Richard McGuire photo)
The hardest part of the Freak’n Farmer obstacle race on Saturday for James Rutledge was getting up in the morning to go to it.
The course itself? Nothing but fun.
Rutledge, from Penticton, participated in a group that included his wife Megan. They chose the 10-kilometre option, but other participants took five- or 20-km courses.
Megan’s favourite part?
“Getting dirty,” she said. “Just doing it as a team was fun. It’s something different than just running.”
The sixth annual Freak’n Farmer at Covert Farms Family Estate just north of Oliver drew about 400 adult participants and 160 children, said Mike Hill, marketing manager with Hoodoo Adventures, the company that worked with Covert Farms to organize the event.
Participants race through fields, orchards, vineyards and grasslands, facing obstacles that are inspired by some of the jobs done on a farm.
Many of the obstacles involved being dunked in pools of muddy water.
Children do shorter courses of 1.5 and three kilometres.
Craig Cote from Kelowna did the 10-km course by himself. Like most contestants, he was out of breath when he slid down the waterslide at the finish.
The hardest part for him was going under hay bales because they triggered his allergies.
He also struggled with the monkey bars.
“I have no upper arms,” he said. “So it was a foregone conclusion I wasn’t going to be able to get all the way across. I was walking in mud.”
This, said Cote, was his first obstacle race ever.
“It’s one of those things you’ve got to do to test yourself and find your limits,” he said.
Despite the tough spots, Cote had fun and plans to do it again.
“I think I’ll try and do the 20K next year,” he said.
Lee Ann Wilhelm, of Vernon, was out of breath when she landed at the bottom of the waterslide at the finish. She did the five-kilometre course by herself.
She also found the monkey bars to be the most challenging part of the course. She made it across one set, but the second set, which rolls, was too much for her.
This was the third time Wilhelm has participated in Freak’n Farmer. She had to watch from the sidelines last year because of an injury. She hopes to return next year.
Many of the participants wore costumes as they slithered through mud under barbed wire and climbed over walls.
Kenton and Sarah Gilchrist of Osoyoos were dressed as superheroes.
James Bernique, one of the first to hit the mud pits, played a nerd, complete with taped glasses, shirt pocket penholder and bow tie.
After completing the course, many of the participants enjoyed a glass of wine as they listened to live music.
And many discussed plans to return next year.
RICHARD McGUIRE
Osoyoos Times
A team runs along laneways at Covert Farms during Saturday’s Freak ‘n Farmer event. (Richard McGuire photo)
Participants run through the orchards and vineyards during Saturday’s Freak ‘n Farmer event at Covert Farms. (Richard McGuire photo)
Participants run through the orchards and vineyards during Saturday’s Freak ‘n Farmer event at Covert Farms. (Richard McGuire photo)
The water was shockingly cold for James Bernique, who dressed as a nerd, complete with with patched glasses, bow tie and front shirt pocket with a loaded pen holder. (Richard McGuire photo)
Naomi Mack swings on a rope over a muddy pit before landing in the water. (Richard McGuire photo)
Chris Bouchard was taking no chances at an obstacle where participants had to pile vegetables onto a balance. He carried many more squashes than he needed. Behind, teammate Trevor Guerard had just the right load to tilt the scales. (Richard McGuire photo)
Craig Cote from Kelowna did the run on his own. He finished successfully, but his hay allergy gave him problems on a few obstacles. (Richard McGuire photo)
Erika Robinson, of Oliver, made her nice pink shirt look good — until she landed in muddy water after swinging on a rope. (Richard McGuire photo)
Angela Block, of Kelowna, waves to friends as she pauses between two obstacles she needs to slide under in a muddy pool. (Richard McGuire photo)
Contestants slither through mud under obstacles as others wait behind for their turns. (Richard McGuire photo)
Contestants slither through mud under obstacles as others wait behind for their turns. (Richard McGuire photo)
A contestant lets go of a rope as she swings out over a muddy pool. (Richard McGuire photo)
Kristin Awde of Vancouver takes a leap with a rope into a muddy pool while dozens of other participants behind her waif for their turns. (Richard McGuire photo)
Kristin Awde of Vancouver takes a leap with a rope into a muddy pool while dozens of other participants behind her waif for their turns. (Richard McGuire photo)
A contestant swings out over a muddy pool before going into the water while another contestant gets ready to jump. (Richard McGuire photo)
Two contestants slide down the side of the mud bath into the pool while dozens wait behind them for their turns. (Richard McGuire photo)
Jill Nixon, from Lake Country, catches her balance after landing in a muddy pool while Kerri Hamati behind her, from Penticton, prepares to hit the water. (Richard McGuire photo)
Contestants straddle pipes to cross a muddy pool of water. A few tried to walk on the pipe, but most of these lost their balance and tumbled into the water. (Richard McGuire photo)
Contestants slither through mud under barbed wire at one of the obstacles in Freak ‘n Farmer on Saturday. (Richard McGuire photo)
Contestants slither through mud under barbed wire at one of the obstacles in Freak ‘n Farmer on Saturday. (Richard McGuire photo)
Contestants slither through mud under barbed wire at one of the obstacles in Freak ‘n Farmer on Saturday. (Richard McGuire photo)
A couple contestants try to walk along pipes to cross a muddly pool. They soon lost their balance and fell into the water. (Richard McGuire photo)
Contestants climb over a tall metal obstacle during Freak ‘n Farmer. (Richard McGuire photo)
James (front left) and Megan (right) Rutledge, from Penticton, slide down the hill at the finish line. They did the 10-kilometre route. They both loved the event and plan to return next year. (Richard McGuire photo)
