Kitchener-Waterloo BADASS Dash

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• Ken
  More than a year ago
  Great Course but Disorganized and Unsafe

  I've done many obstacle runs over the past few years, but this was my first BadAss Dash. The course itself was great. A perfect balance between hills and obstacles, and each obstacle with its own unique challenges. Unfortunately, this was about the only good thing we experienced that day.

  First, the line-ups were ridiculously long and disorganized. Check-in lines were long, and bag check lines were merged with bag pick-up lines, creating havoc in the bag area. Several people have said "You should have checked in on Friday", but that doesn't work if you're two hours away one way.

  We arrived around 10 am for an 11:20 start time, but after waiting to check in, to bag check, to get to the start and await our turn, it was almost 1:30 by the time we actually started our run.

  Again, the course was great, however there were some obstacles that had no volunteers so people were skipping them. At the barrel run over the river, the volunteer I spoke to didn't even know how deep it was. There were little kids on the barrels when I was there and they were very scared. A good obstacle but someone with some information and maybe a lifeguard would have made it much more safe. To be fair, some of the obstacle volunteers were pretty good as far as being encouraging and energetic, but most, if they were present at all, were just standing there watching people go through.

  By the time we got to the second-to-last obstacle (the bouncy castle thing), it was taken down so we didn't even get a chance to do it.

  The biggest concern, though, was the fact that of the four water stations we passed, only the first was manned and had water. The rest were abandoned, with nothing but big garbage bags and empty water pitchers. A 7+ km run with no refreshment opportunities on the course is a REALLY bad idea and it's no wonder that the medics were so busy. I saw more injuries, and more serious injuries, than I've ever seen at any other event like this. Luckily it was cool and drizzly. If it had been hot, people would have been in real trouble.

  I had two interactions with volunteers - the first being at the river and the other on the final hill. By then my calves were screaming and I was trying to stretch them out (lack of water=dehydration). A guy on a quad came by and asked, and I quote, if I was "having trouble with my vagina". Now, I'm a guy, so obviously it was mocking, and as good natured as it may have been, it's not exactly encouraging or helpful. No matter what the situation, it was beyond inappropriate.

  At the finish line, the 'refreshments' that were provided were bottles of water in a muddy water tub, orange slices (good) and a container of crackers that hardly anyone was taking because after a run with no hydration, the last thing anyone wants is dry crackers that are covered in grit, dirt, and mud from other peoples' filthy hands. The food trucks and other opportunities to grab a post-run bite were packed up and gone (luckily I didn't buy the VIP deal, which I almost did before the race).

  The volunteers in bag check were exceptionally nice though. They were obviously tired and stressed but very nice and very helpful.

  I enjoyed the course (what was left of of it anyway by the time we got to the obstacles), but the poor organization and the absurdly dangerous lack of health and safety measures taken for the runners trumps anything good the run had to offer.

  I won't be back and I won't recommend it.

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