First 'Bold r Dash' Event Gets Muddy Reviews

The ‘Bold r Dash’ race that took place on Saturday at the Yawgoo Valley Ski Area has been the source of mixed reviews for participants, especially those who finished with the 9 a.m. heat.

A blog post on the Projo Fitness Blog about the race has generated several comments from participants and spectators who wanted to voice their reactions to the day.

Kevin Roy, a Cranston personal trainer with South County, ties was the first to cross the finish line during the 9 a.m. heat, and said Monday that there was some confusion about his time because he and a few others ended up running an extra mile or two because of poor or non-existent directional markings.

“We had absolutely no direction and I even saw some people just cutting through the woods and not being able to finish the course because they were frustrated about not knowing where to go next,” Roy said. “Since then, the director of the event has contacted both myself and several others regarding the mix up and they are working to fix it.”

Lynn Hall, director and coordinator of the event, said that the only issues that took place were in the first heat and that overall everyone was very happy after the event. 

"The issues didn't continue throughout the day because they were pointed out and we fixed them as soon as they came up, and since this was our first time doing this event so we expected some things to go wrong," Hall said. "I don't believe there is any kind of controversy because the majority of the people left very happy and satisfied with the event."

This is the first running of the event, inspired by more well-established obstacle races like the Tough Mudder and the Warrior Dash.

According to Roy, those who were in all of the waves that began after the first, at 9 a.m. had a much better experience because some of the directional problems were resolved.