Racers invited for Mad Mud fun at Providence May 21

Outdoor enthusiasts, racers and people who generally like to have fun can try a different kind of race with the Mad Mud Run. Participants of all fitness levels will enjoy a 4.6-mile race as they travel an action-packed, marked course through multiple obstacles ending with a cool and messy mud pit. There's a 100-meter Mudpuppy Splash for children, too.

The Mad Mud Run takes place at 10 a.m. May 21 at the Providence master-planned community in northwest Las Vegas. The race begins and ends at Providence's Knickerbocker Park site, with the course winding through the 1,200-acre community and surrounding neighborhood. Other activities will be at the Knickerbocker site. They include entertainment, refreshments, booths and more. Participants are encouraged to wear costumes; prizes will be awarded. The awards ceremony also will honor the fastest individuals and teams.

Several Providence homebuilders will have booths and share community news, as well as offer giveaways and/or other activities. KB Home's Brighton neighborhood will host a free barbecue from noon to 2 p.m. after the Mad Mud Run ends.

Mad Mud Run obstacles encompass typical boot camp style activities with a low wall, belly crawl, balance beams, water wall, hay bale and a 40-foot-long mud pit that participants must cross. The minimum age is 12. For those younger than 18, special waivers are required. Teams of two and five also may participate and be coed, all-male or all-female. The cost is $60 per person with sign-ups until 9 a.m. on race day when check-in closes. Electronic registration at www.madmudrun.com closes Tuesday. The cost includes an event T-shirt, goody bag, dog tag and refreshments. A mandatory prerace meeting will be held at 9:45 a.m. with the race beginning at 10 a.m.

The 100-meter Mudpuppy Splash is open to the first 200 4- to 12-year-olds who register. The $15-per-child cost includes a T-shirt, race bib, dog tag and refreshments. Children ages 4 to 6 must be accompanied by a parent through the mud pit. Registration will be available until 10 a.m. on race day with the event starting around 11:30 a.m.

Pre-event check-in takes place at the REI store in Boca Park on Friday from 5-7 p.m. It is located at 710 S. Rampart Blvd.

Event organizers need people to douse participants with water in the course's Splash Zone, so Super Soakers are welcome.

The Mad Mud Run also provides an opportunity to bring gently used clothing and household items to donate to Safe Nest. The oldest and largest domestic violence program in Southern Nevada, the nonprofit organization operates the only 24-hour emergency shelters with undisclosed locations for the safety of battered women and children.

Safe Nest helps clients start over in a violence-free life. It operates a 24-hour crisis hot line and other programs. For information, visit www.safenest.org.

After Mad Mud Run, participants and other attendees can visit neighborhoods within Providence. The master plan is the seventh best-selling master-planned community in the country, according to RCLCO, the nation's leading independent real estate advisory firm, and the second best-seller in Nevada. Providence builders include Beazer Homes, KB Home, Lennar, Meritage Homes, Richmond American Homes, R/S Development, Ryland Homes, Warmington and Woodside Homes.

KB Home's Brighton neighborhood, where the free barbecue will be held, is located across the street from Knickerbocker Park. Priced from the $130,000s, the neighborhood features two models and seven floor plans. The one- and two-story, three- to five-bedroom homes range from 1,670 to 2,602 square feet.

Wide boulevards lined with hundreds of mature shade trees frame Providence, which will house 7,500 single and multifamily units upon completion. The master plan features the Providence Promenade, a nearly half-mile long linear park, providing the perfect location for residents to play, jog, bike or stroll. The community has miles of trail systems and will have two neighborhood parks; Knickerbocker Park will be completed later this year.

Providence is located at 7051 N. Hualapai Way, just off the Las Vegas Beltway. To get to the park, go north on Hualapai, west on Dorrell Lane and south on Brighton Village Street.

For information or registration, visit www.madmudrun.com or email help@sierraadventuresports.com. For Providence information, call 702-433-5084 or visit www.providencelv.com.