Get ready to get dirty. The 17th Annual USMC Mud Run in Columbia promises to be grimier and grubbier than ever as thousands of slop-happy competitors crawl, climb and scurry through a 4.5-mile all-terrain course featuring 30-plus mud-filled obstacles.

The event, set for Sept. 25, is the second largest mud run in the country. Last year’s competition maxed out at 1,800 four-man teams, prompting organizers to move it to its new location, affectionately called “The Leatherneck”.

Located off Interstate 26 at the Sandy Run exit, the course will provide wider lanes for twice the number of participants and even more mud pits (translate that to more fun). Psyched up to slog it out, some 2,300 teams signed up in just the first month of registration for the 2010 event.

As part of the competition, each team member will be required to traverse water holes, climb over wooden barricades, jump nine feet into mud pits, crawl under logs and scramble through slippery, slimy trenches. Each of the obstacles are named after major battles, significant places and items from Marine Corps history, including Belleau Wood, Mount Suribachi, Funchilin Pass and A Shau Valley.

The event also features a Pollywog course or Mini Mud Run for competitors 5 to 12 years old. The top 3 teams in both the adult and children’s categories receive awards for their endurance. Cash prizes will be awarded to the overall top three winners and the first place finisher in each category.

Cost to enter the race is $30-$40 per person; $120-$160 per team, depending on when you register. The children’s Pollywog course is $12 per child. Team start times will run every 20 seconds beginning at 7:30 a.m.

Got you goosed up to take the challenge? Register at www.usmcmudrun.org. Good luck—and have a muddy good time!