Fitness fanatics who have grown bored of the gym after a long winter can rest easy. There are plenty of ways to spice up your workout routine this summer. While some involve neon colors, some feature foam, and many involve mud.

Events like Tough Mudder and the Spartan Race have taken the fitness world by storm in the past decade, mixing the adventurous nature of workouts like CrossFit with the whim of Family Double Dare.

While some folks prefer a leisurely jog around the neighborhood, thrill-seekers can get excited about these 15 alternative fitness events happening in New England this summer. It goes without saying that, after all those miles logged on the treadmill, you’ve earned it.


1. Gladiator Training Grounds

A 5K course packed with more than 25 obstacles, the Gladiator Training Grounds are also less than an hour outside of Boston. The event includes a day-long festival with live music, BBQ, and beer.

June 6, Marshfield Fairgrounds, Marshfield, $50-$80

2. Tough Mudder New England

Tough Mudder stretches more than 10 miles with obstacles that include climbing through dumpsters filled with ice-cold water and crawling through mud with wires hanging overhead. Die-hards also insist it’s the most fun you’ll ever have. Run for fun, or run to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project.

June 6-7, Mount Snow, West Dover, VT, $165-$187

3. Samurai Sprint Mud Run

This 5K is made infinitely more interesting with the addition of Ninja Warrior-inspired obstacles, like climbing walls, tires flips, and rope climbs. Bonus: there’s also a free race for children.

June 13, Westport Rivers Vineyard and Winery, Westport, $89-$100

4. Spartan Race

Reebok’s 8-10 mile race includes lots of climbing, fire, and mud. The brand-new “super course’’ for this summer’s race is called “Boston Super.’’ Consider yourself forewarned.

June 20, Carter & Stevens Farm, Barre, $35-$155

5. Big Man Run XX

This road race is just over 4 miles long. Seems simple, right? The course also includes three stops in which participants must consume one 8-ounce beer and one hot dog at each station. Just be sure to bring three one-dollar bills — “big men’’ always tip their servers.


June 27, Worcester Canal District, Worcester, $36-$41

6. Artopios Mission Run

A race for the imaginative thrill seeker, this is an obstacle course-style with interactive storylines that include paintball battles and other elements of live action role-playing.

July 24, Granite Gorge, Roxbury, NH, $90

7. BattleFrog Race

Designed by Navy SEALS, the BattleFrog is a lap-style obstacle course that includes multiple distances and difficulties. Whatever course you choose, it’ll be a challenge for runners of all ages and experience levels.

July 25, Carter & Stevens Farm, Barre, $5-$140

8. 5K Foam Fest

This one is more of a fun run, where runners face inflatable obstacles, mud pits, and a lot of foam. It’s like running through an enormous bubble bath.

July 25, Kimball Farm, Haverhill, $70

9. LoziLu Women’s Mud Run

A “filthy 5K’’ that involves mud and music, this race features obstacles with themed names like “Mani Pedi,’’ “Bad Hair Day,’’ and “Fish Nets.’’ The course itself is for ladies only and helps to raise money for childhood cancer foundations.

July 25, Bolton Fairgrounds, Lancaster, $42-$64

10. Wipeout Run

The hit show “Wipeout’’ inspired this 5K, which includes obstacles like the “Wrecking Balls,’’ an inflatable slip-n-slide filled with suds called the “Foam of Fury,’’ and an adult-sized super slide called “The Drop.’’ It is one of the few courses where you could take a wild fall, and it’s one of two that you can run at the home of the Patriots.

August 1, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, $62-$86

11. 24 Hours of Shale Hell

Shale Hill in Vermont is host to a number of extreme fitness events throughout the year, but this one is the toughest. It challenges participants to complete as many laps of the 10K course as possible in one day. Each lap contains more than 60 obstacles including Tarzan swings, traversing bodies of water, and slalom hill-climb called “The Anaconda.’’


August 1, Shale Hill, Benson, VT, $150-$300

12. Color Me Rad 5K Color Race

Loosely based on Holi, the Hindu spring festival full of colorful rituals, the Color Me Rad 5K douses participants with brightly colored powders, liquids, and gels. No doubt you’ve seen photos of more than a couple of tie-dyed finishers pop up in your News Feed.

August 1, Brockton Fairgrounds, Brockton, $40-$55

August 8, Brunswick Landing, Brunswick, ME, $40-$55

August 29, Seekonk Speedway, Seekonk, $40-$55

13. Electric Run Boston

One of the only nighttime 5K races, the Electric Run is illuminated by light installations and energized by music. It’s as if you’re running (or walking) in the middle of an electronic music festival.

October 2, Gillette Stadium, Foxboro, $45-$49.50

14. The Blacklight Run

Like a messy, exercise-fueled nightclub, runners start with white T-shirts, and by the end of the 5K fun run, they are doused with vibrant neon glow powder that becomes enhanced by the black lights.

August 29, Brockton Fairgrounds, Brockton, $40-$65

15. BoldrDash

Now celebrating its fifth year, the BoldrDash combines mud and climbing elements with an enormous slip-n-slide for a crazy, outdoor adventure. The event not only ensures a messy good time, but helps raise money for local charities including The Little Heroes Fund and Pathways Strategic Teaching Center.

August 9, Yawgoo Valley, Exeter, RI, $40-$48

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