Cool, slimy goop splattered through the overcast bay air. More than 200 bodies slogged their way through the shin-deep, oyster-filled muck of Samish Bay Saturday.

The 250-yard, low-tide mud run was the feature event of the sixth annual Bivalve Bash. More than 1,000 people gathered at Taylor Shellfish Farms for oyster-themed fun, food and education. Activities ranged from an oyster shell sculpture competition and crab races to the strenuous children- and adult-division mud runs.

"I don’t know how many low-tide mud runs there are or how often we get to play in the mud," Bivalve Bash manager and promoter Kate McDermott said. "This is a day that your inner child can really shine through."

MudUp, one of the event’s key sponsors, was also among the crowd at the bash. MudUp representatives educated spectators about clean water awareness, restoration and practices through an informational booth and their costumed promoter called the Mud Monster.

"This is a great way to bring people out, have a good time and teach them about the clean water link," said Bill Dewey, Taylor Shellfish Farm public affairs representative. "Instead of always doom and gloom, let’s have some fun."

Bill Taylor, president of Taylor United, hosted the run. Taylor created the event with the company’s promotion and events coordinator Jon Rowley in 2003. The men wanted to find a way to spread the importance of clean water in the Pacific Northwest in a fun and entertaining way, Taylor said.

"We wanted to do something that was intriguing and brought attention to water quality," Taylor said.

Before the race, runners made a trip to the first-ever duct tape tent, put on by Super Jock ‘n Jill, a Seattle-based fitness clothing and shoe store. Aside from duct taping shoes to legs, glasses to heads and anything else that might fall off during the run, the company provided prizes for the top three winners in each division, Super Jock ‘n Jill manager Ty Whitten said. First place runners received new shoes while second and third were awarded gift certificates to the store.

At 12:23 p.m., when the tide was at its lowest, competitors set off trudging through the cool bay mud course. Exhausted runners battled against the sinking grip of the sludge with every stride while they fought to cross the finish line. Taking just one step into another competitor’s footprint or losing pace for a split second could lead to knee-deep immobility or even worse—a mouth full of mud.

Western junior Katie Moore was signed up for the race by a friend only a few days before the event. Moore went into the race knowing nothing except to use a lot of duct tape, she said.

"If I could have stayed faster and kept my shoe on that would have changed everything for me," she said at the finish line.

The race was also the first for winner Matt Roetcisoender, a 21-year-old Central Washington University student. Roetcisoender currently holds the fastest time in mud run history at 58.75 seconds.

 "It’s hard to bring up your legs," Roetcisoender said. "When you get to the end, they feel like Jell-o."

At the end of the race, dirty runners filed in line for a gold painted oyster shell medal and a turn to wash off. Taking the mud with them, they headed for hot food, beer and grilled oysters.

The mud run is a major fundraiser for the Skagit Conservation Education Alliance (SCEA), one of the event’s main sponsors. Everyone except runners and children under six paid a general admittance fee of $5 at the door. Adult runners paid $13 for online registration or $23 on-site registration to participate in the mud run. Part of the proceeds go toward SCEA to help promote clean water awareness programs throughout Washington.

MudUp also benefited from the bash, advancing and promoting its campaign to clean up the water and surrounding shorelines of the Puget Sound, MudUp spokesperson Sian Wu said.

Three environmental groups — The Trust for Public Land, The Nature Conservatory and People For Puget Sound—came together to form the Alliance for Puget Sound shorelines in May 2007. MudUp.org is the centralized place where the Alliance posts events, activities and opportunities for individuals and groups to help clean up the Sound, Wu said.

The effort also sends out the Mud Monster, a mascot who tells children his story of having to leave his home in the Puget Sound due to toxic waste and pollution.

"Because [the Puget Sound] looks so beautiful on the surface, [people] don’t see the troubles below," Wu said.

According to MudUp.org, the Puget Sound is one of the most contaminated and damaged channels in the United States. MudUp.org stated that storm water run-off, rapid development and toxic chemicals contribute to much of the pollution.

To view the the Bivalve Bash and Low Tide Mud Run click here...

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