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WHEELING – In growing the Tough As Nails Urban Challenge presented by The Health Plan, event organizers keep two missions at the top of the list: devise new obstacles that will spark the interest of both veteran participants and those looking to join, and incorporate as many of Wheeling's notable structures as possible.
For the 2023 version of the challenge - which will highlight the Sunday, May 28, events of the Ogden Newspapers Wellness Weekend presented by WVU Medicine - they have succeeded on both fronts.
Urban warriors will race through the old Ohio Valley Medical Center, try and stay dry crossing the Grandview Pool and traverse an industrial maze in the former mechanical building of the Wheeling Intelligencer and News-Register as part of 27 obstacles awaiting them on the five-mile course. Registration for Tough As Nails, as well as all other Wellness Weekend events, is available right now at odgenwellnessweekend.com.
Urban Challenge organizer Jim Gibbons said the event originated in 2019 as more of a typical obstacle race. But when looking at all that Wheeling has to offer in terms of landmarks that could become obstacles, he wanted to make it anything but typical.
"It's morphed into making it more of an experience, making it more challenging," he said. "And it allows the participants to enter buildings that are not typically allowed to be in. So that is, really, at a different level of interest for people and a higher level of difficulty than what we saw last year or in 2019.
"When you talk about major landmarks in Wheeling, that was our main purpose," he continued, to give people a view of the city that they typically wouldn’t see."
Some of that will come at OVMC, and Gibbons said the inclusion of that site to the Tough As Nails course is one of the most exciting additions to the weekend. Participants will tackle a trio of obstacles inside the facility - "Triage," presented by the City of Wheeling; "Linen Lift," presented by Wheeling Linen Service and "Be Patient."
The Grandview Pool is another new facet to the course, where participants will take on "Splashover," presented by iHeart Radio. There, they'll try to traverse a floating bridge that spans the pool and try to make it across without taking an inadvertent dip.
Gibbons said that the John Marshall High School video production class will set up a livestream of "Splashover" that will be available to view on YouTube. They'll also splice in shots from the OVMC obstacles.
The "Industrial Maze," presented by Engineered Foundation Solutions, wraps up the new sites the Tough As Nails course will feature this year. Old favorites will remain, like "Stairway to Heaven," presented by Braunlich Orthopedics and "Tunnel Vision," presented by WTRF 7. There also will be three mystery obstacles.
Other obstacle sponsors include Wheeling Country Club, The Health Plan, Miklas Meat Market, West Virginia Northern Community College, Highlands Sports Complex, Bridgeport Equipment, Ogden Newspapers, the Wheeling Nailers, Lowe's, Contractors Supply, CityNet, Grow Ohio valley, Liberty Distributors, Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration, Fort Henry Capital and the Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack.
Even more people are eligible to participate this year in the Tough As Nails Urban Challenge, presented by The Health Plan, as the minimum age for entry is now 16. Early registration is suggested and there will be no on-site registration on the day of the event.
Heats go out every 15 minutes beginning at noon and ending at 2 p.m. with 175 people in each heat. Limited time slots are available. Participants will pick their run time at registration. Those who want to run with friends are recommended to register early and together.
There are no prizes for winners, jut bragging rights, but each participant receives a wicking shirt, medal and a drink ticket for the afterparty.
Race director Eric Anderson said the Tough As Nails Urban Challenge is a unique event that continues to evolve.
"There is not a similar race in the region where you can run through manufacturing facilities, a working farm, climb up 400 steps, and traverse across a swimming pool," Anderson said. "We're excited to roll things out again in 2023 with a course that will challenge participants and allow them to have fun while doing it."