Community

Hundreds Prove They’re ‘Tough As Nails’ Sunday

WHEELING -- In the crowd of participants gathered near the corner of Main Street and 14th Street before noon on Sunday, 560 minds were focused on a grueling task in front of them: a 5.85-mile course winding up and down the streets of downtown Wheeling, in and out of buildings and alleys, and over, under or elsewise through 22 different obstacles on a warm May day.

What drove each of those people to tackle the challenge?

"I've done a couple spartan races, and I love obstacle races, I guess it's becoming my thing," Stacy Laverock from Hermitage, PA said.

"I do spartans, tough mudders. This is the cleanest one I do. It's a lot of fun," Georgeann Reid from Pittsburgh said.

"This guy asked me to," St. Clairsville's Avery Dukes said, pointing to a friend of his over his shoulder. "I shouldn't have listened!"

"Insanity?" Rich Giammamco from Slovan, PA mused.

No matter the reason, each were all smiles in the time leading up to the beginning of the Tough As Nails Urban Challenge presented by The Health Plan on Sunday. The first flight of competitors started on the long, arduous course at noon, with most having finished up by 3:30 p.m. later that day.

Tough As Nails changes its course most every year, and on Sunday, for the fifth annual Tough As Nails Urban Challenge, two major changes included the introduction of a balancing beam, and the use of the parking garage on Market Street to house a variety of different obstacles including the slip 'n slide.

"They change it every year," Reid said. "It's always fun to go through the buildings."

Supporting the 560 participants were over 150 volunteers, many of whom acted as guides along the winding course to keep the entrants on the straight-and-narrow.

The first to cross the finish line on Sunday was Tadd Morris from Pittsburgh, who finished in 50 minutes, 10 seconds. It was Morris' fourth time competing in the Tough As Nails Urban Challenge, but there were a variety of different levels of experience in the crowd Sunday.

"I go to the gym Monday through Friday, and I like challenges," Laverock, running Tough As Nails for the first time, said. "I wanted to sign up for some races over the Summer and this one looked really fun."

It was Dukes' first time as well.

"I'm a Planet Fitness guy, I haven't done something like this before," he joked.

"I don't know what obstacle I'm most excited about, but there's one I'm trying to avoid the most- the rope climb."

Giammamco came back this year for his second go-round at the course, and was committed to taking it all in this time.

"Last year was a blur because it was my first time doing it," he said.

"I just like getting out and doing tough things like this. It keeps me going."

Reid had participated in each of the past five years, going all the way back to the first annual Tough As Nails.