KALAMAZOO -- The inaugural Kalamazoo Mud Run, set for June 2, will offer participants a chance to overcome obstacles, get covered in mud and raise money to help bring clean water to the people of Bulenga, a village just outside of Kampala, Uganda.

Dreamed up by Kalamazoo Community Church, the event will be held on 44 wooded acres surrounding the campus on N. 26th Street. The trail-run style course will be a 5-kilometer trek filled with hills, wall climbs, mud crawls and trenches.

The church is partnering with The Bridge in Portage and Living Water International to build a well in Uganda.

“While we often hear about the need for food, medicine, and water in Africa, it wasn't until we got to know Pastor Solomon Mwesige and his local ministry in Kampala, Uganda that the need became real,” KCC Senior Pastor Dave Johnson said in a news release. “The drought that some parts of Africa experienced last year was a great example...we could help temporarily, but we were looking for a way to effect real change.”

In addition to race proceeds, donation opportunities will include a shoe collection for Soles4Souls that will run for three weeks leading up to the run. Participants can also donate their muddy shoes after the run.

The event is set up for solo runners or teams of four, ages 13 and older. A shorter course is planned for the Kids Mud Run, for kids ages 6-12. The entry fee before April 1 is $31 for adults, $11 for children, and more information can be found at kalamazoomudrun.com.