A panoramic view of attendees and obstacles at Tough Mudder from Drumheller's Stampede Grounds facing downtown September 6, 2014.

“Wow.”
    That’s the most consistent feedback Mayor Terry Yemen received from people that took part in Tough Mudder Alberta 2014 on September 6 and 7.
    “Everyone loved the terrain,” said General Manager-Canada Tough Mudder Nick Cogger, adding people thought Tough Mudder made great use of the natural landscape to build a very challenging course that had course goers running up and down steep coulees and trekking over the motocross trails at the back of Drumheller’s Stampede Grounds.   

Two Tough Mudders navigate through the "Electroshock Therapy" obstacle, the wires of which emit electric pulses similar to an electric fence.

Over 2,000 spectators attended Tough Mudder over the September 6 and 7 weekend, that saw 7,700 people take on the extreme obstacle course, supported by about 250 staff and volunteers.
    “I can’t express how pleased I am with how things went this weekend. It was a really, really great event all around,” said Cogger. "Great community support, great course, a great turn out, great weather - fantastic.”
    “From our standpoint, it was a spectacular event,” said Drumheller Festival Society President Ryan Semchuk. The Festival Society was the group responsible for handling the local coordination of hosting the Tough Mudder event in Drumheller.

Two Tough Mudders jump from a five metre platform into 15 feet of water  below on the obstacle "Walk The Plank".

    “We had great support, and are thoroughly impressed with the community, the Town infrastructure and Town help, all of our volunteers.”  He said the community pulled together to support the Festival Society, especially when they were looking for some last minute help, and it was amazing to see everybody step in, help out, and get involved with the event.
    Tough Mudder emails out post-event surveys to spectators and participants, and Cogger said there is specific interest in people wanting to see some of the other obstacles from the catalogue of two- hundred obstacles, so Tough Mudder will see what they can bring to the course next year.
    “The challenge before us is how to out-do ourselves next year, given how successful this year was,” Cogger said.

 A Tough Mudder team with daring Drumhellerites who tackled the Tough Mudder obstacle course Saturday, September 6. (l-r)  Mel Mazereeuw, Kadena Pierce, Heather Jones, Chris Jones, Tim Dennis and at front, Brieanne Clark.

    The Mayor and the Festival Society said the downtown core was not as busy as expected, so Drumheller will have to look at how to engage people earlier on and get people moving better around town. One of the reasons for fewer people downtown could have been the cancellation of the street festival, and Semchuk said in speaking with attendees at Tough Mudder, people were heading off to hike and do other outdoor activities because the weather was so beautiful.
    Tough Mudder Alberta is confirmed for September 5 and 6, 2015, and tickets are already available on the Tough Mudder website.

(l-r) Matthew, Alex, Dale and Linda Williams, winners of CTV’s Canada AM “Digging in the Badlands” contest, were greeted by Tourism President Bob Long.  CTV was here in May to help launch the Canadian Badlands marketing campaign.

Locals can routinely see dinosaurs throughout their day, and most have probably been to the Royal Tyrrell Museum numerous times, but for the winners of CTV’s  Canada AM “Digging in the Badlands” contest, it’s all new and wonderful.
    “I’ve always seen dinosaurs on t.v. and read about them, but to see them in person - it’s eye opening. It’s amazing,” said Dale Williams.
    Dale and Linda Williams with sons Matthew, 13, and Alex 10, from Pool’s Cove, Newfoundland, were in town this week enjoying their prize.
    “It was so neat coming down into the valley,” said Linda. “Hills!”
    Dale added it’s quite the experience driving on the flatlands, “It’s so vast.”
    The family arrived Monday, August 25, and were kept busy enjoying the local attractions.
    Their Tuesday trip to the Royal Tyrrell included a dig and behind the scenes tour with the museum’s Dr. Don Henderson.
    Linda shared a picture of the fossil, ten-year-old Alex unearthed on the dig -  a clear cross-section of a pine cone.
    Dad Dale enjoyed the behind the scenes tour immensely, appreciating that he got to try out the air brush tool used for wearing away rock around a fossil.
    The family also visited reptile world, and Alex had a small album’s worth of photos on his phone he kindly shared.
    Wednesday’s scheduled tour was to the Atlas Coal Mine, the Hoodoos, and the East Coulee School Museum.
    Towards the end of the family’s day, Linda said the kids started asking if they get to go in the hotel pool.
    The kids love the waterslide, and Linda said she’d never been on one before, but gave it a try. She ended up tiring herself out on it.
    Thursday the Williams headed for Brooks and Dinosaur Provincial Park, and then it was off to Calgary for Friday.
    The Williams were considering visiting the  Calgary Zoo, with Linda adding that getting in some shopping would be nice, especially  with fewer taxes in Alberta.
    The family flew back home Friday, and in that wonderful  Newfoundland style, they said to let them know if ever we headed out their way to visit.