Down ‘n’ Dirty : 1,500 Test Their Mettle in Tustin Mud Run

The thrill of victory. The agony of defeat. The love of mud?

About 1,500 civilians and military personnel competed Friday in the 15th annual Volkslauf Mud Run at the Tustin Marine Corps Helicopter Air Station, where participants tackled the mud-laden obstacle course filled with barriers such as the Rambo Death Ditch.

“We’re just here to have fun and finish together,” said first-time competitor Steven Hodge, 28, of Los Angeles.

Jeff Scoch, 23, of El Toro and his teammates took it one step further. “You’re all gonna lose,” yelled Scoch, taunting some nearby teams.

“Actually we’re the ones that are going to lose,” said teammate Cody Wilson, 22, holding a Jolly Roger. “But at least we sound tough. Just look for the flag, we’ll be in the very back.”

Before the race, the military base had a carnival atmosphere.

“We’ve done this before, so we’re here to have fun,” said Bill Lackey, 32, a Santa Ana firefighter. “And to beat the SEALS,” he said referring to the elite Navy team.

But others talked strategy.

“It’s not about speed, it’s about having the endurance to get through it,” said Sally Hammerstein, 32, of Irvine.

Teams of six, mostly decked out in military-style pants and boots, tackled the 6.2-mile course, which featured a run through two humongous hangars before coming to the “mother of all obstacles”: The Rambo Death Ditch, a quarter-mile ditch filled with three feet of mud, through which participants must swim or trudge.

“My eyes are stinging,” shouted one as he made his way through the ditch, trying to keep his head afloat.

“What am I doing here?” cried another as she clung to the side of the ditch, visibly out of breath. “God, help me.”

As the competitors sloshed through the mud, friends and family cheered alongside, some taking photographs.

“These guys have already run 4, 4 1/2 miles before they even get to the ditch, so this will tear you up,” said Steve Gomez of El Toro, a spectator who had competed in previous runs. “This will separate the men from the boys.”

If the runners made it past the ditch, they had to conquer two 30-foot hills and crawl on their bellies in grass and mud, with a wire overhead.

From there it was another 1 1/2-mile run to the finish line, where the participants were greeted by a Marine band and hosedown by the Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting department.

The ditch “was the single worst moment in my life,” said Amy Shaw, 26, of Tustin. “I’ve never felt so hopeless in my life, especially going through that mud.”

“I just thank God I’m still alive,” Glen Fulmer, 24, of Cerritos chimed in.

Volkslauf, German for “the people’s run,” was created to test endurance and stamina.

“They should rename it ‘to hell and back,’ ” quipped Dan Perez, 29, of San Juan Capistrano, drying off after being sprayed with a fire hose.

Each of the 250 teams paid $120 to enter. The Marines give the proceeds to charity.

Although the base is set to close next year, the Volkslauf will be back.

“If we’re still here next year, we’ll have it here,” said Sgt. Chris O’Leary, a base spokesman. “If we’re down in Miramar, we’ll have it there.”

Meanwhile, as the last of the teams crossed the finish line nearly three hours after the start, a small black dot appeared on the home stretch: the unmistakable skull and crossbones.