Brad Vaccaro is the Founder of Your First Mud Run. It has become hugely popular for families and team building. Join Your First Mud Run for their 11th annual Wildwood NJ Mud Run on Sunday, September 12th, 10:00 AM-1:00.PM. The fun filled 2-mile mud run will be on the beach. The course will feature as many as 20 obstacles including a 6-foot high wall, rope climb, tire carry, a set of tubes, heavy jump ropes, a mud pit, cargo net and every year we add a new secret obstacle. Other events will be held on October 3 in Stanford, CT 10:00 AM – 1:00 PM and in South Windsor, CT on September 19 at 10 AM- 1:00 PM.
FMM: Share your background and what led you to mud runs.
It all started about 20 years ago when the founder, Brad Vaccaro, was in college and wasn’t sure what he was going to do with his life. So at a cross road, he happened to hear about a major called “exercise science”. Since he loved sports and could see himself being involved with fitness and athletes his whole life, he sunk all his time into getting that degree. While in school, his father became sick and died of cancer. Just one year earlier at the age of 58, his father celebrated 30 years at his job and was unceremoniously being pushed out to make room for the new generation. Rich Vaccaro devoted his whole life to a job that he never truly loved and never loved him back. So at the age of 59, he died a broken man who was never motivated
to be healthy and was never fulfilled with what he accomplished in his life. At that point, Brad decided that that would not be his fate, that his life would have meaning and could hopefully bring some additional meaning to his father’s life. The only problem was, what he would do to substantiate that “meaning”. Then after graduating college, he became a personal trainer at a local gym and worked part time at a large chain hardware store. At both jobs he saw how all of the people he worked with, were living lives of quiet desperation. They were all financially strapped and all complained about the government, society and how the system was so unfair, but it seemed like none of them tried to do anything about it. They just went about the “daily grind”. So at this point, he was still uncertain as to exactly how he would make a difference, but decided right then that in order to do anything positive on the large scale he hoped, he’d have to become “successful” and even more importantly, would have to have some ability to effect change on a large scale through connections, getting to know thousands of people across the country and owning a business that had an impact on the community. That opportunity came in 2004, when working at a small gym in Ridgewood NJ, he was able to open his 1st gym with a partner in Wyckoff NJ. While running this gym, he was able to co found what has become the largest football combine company in the US. This started to give him many of the connections he needed to fulfill his dream, but since he was not sole owner, couldn’t take the business in the “change the world for the better” direction he wanted.
Then, in early 2009 two things happened that set up the path of change. 1st he split the two businesses with his former partner and took over total control of the gym business which would become the Sports Conditioning Institute in Oakland, NJ. Then he immediately started to look for opportunities to effect change, work with charities and do positive work in the community. He looked into the 1st opportunity he saw, which was the Family Reach 5k in Mahwah, NJ. There, among all the volunteers and founders of this organization, he found it! From then on, everything that his business would do, if possible, would be done in part to help some important charitable cause! He was so impressed with the incredible selflessness of everyone involved in the family reach 5k, that by the next year he was a board member. In early 2011 while he was still searching for “something bigger”, his girlfriend had competed in a large and successful mud run. He did the math on the possibility of big financial success in a new, but exciting industry, “Mud Runs”. At this point there were only a few companies, and only a small percentage of the population even knew what a mud run was, let alone actually competed in one, but is was extremely obvious to him that this was the future of event based activities, and would soon be as big as 5K races and marathons. This was a great risk and a truly daunting task as he obviously had no experience in these types of events.
So the next business opportunity that presented itself was when he founded Your First Mud Run. When he decided to run this race as the 1st race of its kind in North jersey, he didn’t know if he’d get anyone to come, let alone enough to actually make a profit, but immediately decided that 20% was going to go to 2 charities no matter what. So the first event was created and marketed on a budget of basically $0, and was only possible through creativeness and shear will. When the race was only 1 week away, there was only 30 people registered which meant a definite loss, but everyone involved hung in, and 2 days before the race there was only about 45, which was still a loss, but then something great happened, when in the night before the event 40 people registered online, and 40 more walked up the day of the event. This allowed Your First Mud Run to give almost $1,000 to the Family Reach Foundation and My Charity for Kids. Now every year there are 6 – 10 YFMR races across 5 states in the Northeast and there are plans to expand as far south as Florida and west to California within the next 5 years.
FMM: How much fun is a Mud Run for all ages?
Our event is EXTREMELY fun for everyone 5 and up. We are the only event in the world where the kids compete side by side on the same course with their parents.
FMM: Tell us about what participants can expect at the mud run? (what is the process? What is involved?
They can expect to have fun, in an un-intimidating and extremely supportive environment. Of course they will also encounter obstacles like cargo nets and rope climb and plenty of mud!
FMM: Your First Mud Run is not only fun for families, but also for corporate team building. Tell us about the creative ways people are participating?
Many people create teams as small as 3 and as large as 200 and not only have a ton of fun with friends and family but often raise money for their own person needs like soccer teams or schools and also their favorite charities. Many wear t-shirts they designed with creative names and many more post all the fun on their social media.
FMM: Is the obstacle course difficult?
No, but anything is difficult if you push yourself, but its meant to be at a level that can be done by almost anyone.
FMM: You have events coming up in Wildwood, NJ and on September 19th at South Windsor, CT. The course will feature as many as 20 obstacles including a 6- foot high wall, rope climb, tire carry, a set of tubes, heavy jump ropes, a mud pit, cargo net and every year we add a new secret obstacle. Tell us about the ‘secret obstacle’ a little more.
We had a great one on order for 2020, but the pandemic ruined that, so no new obstacle this year, but we plan to order the same obstacle that I designed in 2022, which is an “over under” obstacle made of aluminum truss, where you climb over a cargo net, and hang under steel piping. Its gonna be awesome!
FMM: What free stuff will participants get during that day?
If they sign up for the “all in” registration, they get a finishers t-shirt and finishers medal. We will also have many giveaways like $3 off at Red Robin
FMM: Why is the Your First Mud Run a fun way to fundraise?
There’s nothing to do other than create a team, and promote! Then we give back $5 per registration, and everyone loves it!
FMM: What do you love the most about your mud runs?
All the smiling faces! I get at least 50 – 100 people who thank me at every race!
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