Tony Weathers was the kind of elite fitness athlete the sport of obstacle racing was made for. The competitions, known as mud runs, tough mudders or warrior dashes, test an athlete's limits across a variety of terrain and obstacles.
Yet something went terribly wrong Saturday when Weathers did not complete the DFW version of The Original Mud Run at Fort Worth's LaGrave Field in Texas.
After friends reported Weathers missing, his body was found by fire department divers on Sunday morning in the Trinity River, where Mud Run competitors had crossed the day before.
Weathers, 30, of Dallas was known to be in superb physical condition. Weathers' friends, who told WFAA-TV that he could swim, are at a loss to explain his death during the event.
"He's strong enough to pull himself out of that water," said Weather's personal trainer Lynetta Moore. "I don't know if he was trampled, tangled, but it doesn't make sense. Totally out of character for someone with that level of athleticism.
"Something went wrong. I don't know what, but something went wrong."
The Tarrant County Medical Examiner's office posted on its website that Weather's cause of death would not be determined until toxicology tests are completed.
Mud Run competitor Mia Walters of Dallas described a chaotic, terror-filled scene at the water crossing. She blamed Mud Run organizers, in a pair of YouTube videos, complaining about course conditions.
"I was in that water and it was terrifying," Walters said. "They let so many people into the water for a 75-yard river that should have been swum across. … I saw crying, panic-stricken people around me and all I could feel was people grabbing at me because they were so scared because they were drowning. Everyone around us was drowning."
The race featured 3,500 participants in competitive and non-competitive divisions. There were two courses: a 3.1-mile course with 18 obstacles and a 6.2-mile course with 30 military-style obstacles, some with intimidating names such as Hole to Hades, Leap of Faith and the Mine Field.
A race spokesman said start times were staggered with a wave of runners sent off every 30 minutes. Each heat contained 400 runners.
Walters said many competitors didn't realize they would have to swim the river, swollen by recent rains compared to the drought of a year ago.
The race's consent form included: "I am aware that the presence of physical obstacles containing mud and water and physical requirements to climb, crawl and traverse man-made structures and uneven and rough terrain …"
"It doesn't mention swimming," Walters said. "It's always been a situation where you wade through the water, which means your feet are touching."
Walters said she was in the same wave with Weathers and believes he drowned trying to save someone else. She said Weathers' friends and family grew worried when he did not appear at a wall obstacle soon after the water crossing.
"Once they saw he didn't make it to one of the obstacles, they immediately told people and nothing was done," Walters said. "The race was never stopped. No one did anything about it until the race was over."
Organizers of The Original Mud Run issued a statement Monday offering condolences to Weathers' family and friends, but no explanation for the cause of his death – or why no one saw him disappear from the race.
"In the 14 years of producing adventure races we have never lost a participant which makes this time tremendously difficult," the statement said. "With all our races, safety is our number one priority and we take extreme care in constructing our obstacles and the design of our course. We work closely with local authorities to ensure we meet or exceed all of the necessary requirements for safety. With any of our obstacles that require river crossings or swimming, we provide alternate routes, swim assist devices, guide ropes, floating platforms and certified life guards."
A Mud Run spokesman said there were four certified lifeguards at the first of two river crossings, two lifeguards on a floating platform in the middle of the river and one lifeguard on each bank.
One certified lifeguard and a volunteer certified in first-aid procedures is stationed at the second river crossing, where the number of competitors thins out.
Both of the river crossings featured alternative routes in the form of nearby bridges. The spokesman said competitors who were not strong swimmers were "highly" encouraged to take the alternative routes.
Despite the tragedy, the Houston Mud Run on May 26th is still scheduled to take place as planned.
Follow Keith Whitmire on Twitter: @Keith_Whitmire
