Man V Mud - The Maldon Mud Race

The Maldon Mud Race – famous not for its glamour or elegance, but for its thick, energy-sapping mud. It’s the sort of mud that could swallow a Range Rover whole, let alone a human, and it’s so dense that it makes a wet weekend in Wales look like a stroll in the park. In fact, it’s so wonderfully thick that it can hide just about anything... which is lucky because one man, Joel Hicks, has once again decided to run the race completely starkers! Yes, this is his second year tackling the race in the buff, and I suppose if you’re going to do it, this mud’s your best shot at preserving what little dignity remains.

Now, the Maldon Mud Race isn’t some laid-back Sunday jog. Oh no. It’s a battle – hundreds of competitors fighting their way through conditions that would make a warzone look inviting. It all started back in 1973 as a bit of a laugh, a one-man challenge. But it’s grown into an event so big it could rival the Chelsea Flower Show, with tens of thousands of people turning up to watch. They’re there to see the brave, the foolish, and the downright bizarre attempt to make it from the riverbank, across the river, through an ocean of mud on the far bank, and back again. It’s a process that guarantees one thing – you’ll be caked in so much mud, you won’t know where the ground ends and your face begins.

All of this, of course, is done in the name of charity. So not only do these runners suffer, but they do it for a good cause. And then there’s Joel Hicks – a British actor who never shies away from putting on a show, much to the delight of the crowd. Whether he’s trying to outdo last year’s antics or just enjoys the liberating feeling of mud and cold air, one thing’s for sure: the Maldon Mud Race never fails to deliver its fair share of spectacle.