GRANITE CITY - Over 5,000 women from across the country joined the MUDGIRL Run in Granite City this past weekend.
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On Saturday, July 19, 2025, Tri-City Speedway hosted the MUDGIRL Run, which encouraged women to run through a two-and-a-half-mile muddy obstacle course to raise money for breast cancer research. Tammy Gundaker with Tri-City Speedway said the event was “crazy and fun” for everyone who came.
“People flew in for this because there's only so many of these events a year, which was absolutely incredible. It was unbelievable to us,” Gundaker said. “With everything going on in the world today, it’s nice to see something that kind of brightens people up, that you can do together.”
The MUDGIRL Run organization holds these events across the country, but Granite City is the only location for the race in this region. Gundaker said they welcomed people from as far away as Arkansas, Michigan and California.
Unlike most runs, this event was not a competition. Many people ran in groups, including a softball team and many mother-and-daughter duos. At the end of the course, most of the groups held hands and crossed the finish line together.
Gundaker noted that anyone over age 7 can participate, and they welcomed a few 7-year-olds who were in tears by the end of the run, overwhelmed by their accomplishment. For Gundaker, this was the best part. She loved watching women who experienced the “self-satisfaction” of completing the course.
“I think probably the hugs, and a couple of the little girls were crying because they made it. I kind of got overwhelmed a little bit, even though it was just the MUDGIRL Run,” she shared. “It was cool.”
Gundaker thanked SWIC College, which allowed Tri-City Speedway and the MUDGIRL Run organization to utilize parts of their property for the event.
Tri-City Speedway will once again host the MUDGIRL Run in July 2026, and Gundaker hopes to pre-register enough people to move this into a two-day event. The goal is to welcome over 5,500 participants next year. Ticket sales for next year will start next week.
For more information, including how to purchase tickets for next year, visit the official MUDGIRL Run website at MUDGIRLRun.us. To learn more about this year’s event, check out the official Tri-City Speedway Facebook page.
