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- The first of over 15 obstacles will be a wall climb, behind the Kovens Conference Center.
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- Dashers will cool off while crossing the Biscayne Bay inlet obstacle.
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- One of three mud pits is placed after the inlet crossing.
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- Dashers need to conquer the tire climb to catch some flags.
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- Daring dashers will climb the quarter pipe using the ropes and dismount on the ladder.
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- Two mazes are placed along the course wehere dashers will need to get on all fours to complete.
Photos courtesy of Sofia Galiano
Sofia Galiano/ BBC Managing Editor
The obstacle course with mud pits, water slides and wooden walls has been placed and tested before Panthers and the community dash for cash.
Obstacles for the Benjamin Dash, a charity mud run partnering with FIU Biscayne Bay Campus Recreation, were constructed and placed along the course during the week before the run on Saturday, Oct. 4.
Starting at 8 a.m. until the last wave of runners at 11 a.m., about 40 University students and staff members will join hundreds of locals in a nearly 3-mile long run surrounding BBC, for a chance to win cash and either keep it or donate to charity.
Dashers can donate their earnings to local nonprofits such as The Humane Society of Greater Miami and Voices for Children Foundation, or to student organizations like FIU Alternative Breaks and the FIU Triathlon Club.
Over 15 obstacles will be spread along the course, as will flags worth up to $100. The flags are to be exchanged for money after the run is completed.
“They’re gonna be everywhere, you can’t miss ‘em,” said the general manager of the Benjamin Dash, Robert “Bobby” Martinez, about the flags.
Commuting to campus by car or on bike, tire hills, traverse walls, soon-to-be mud pits, mazes and quarter pipes can be seen from a distance.
Frank Samper, Benjamin Dash operations manager, said the quarter pipe, near the previous Bay Vista Housing complex, was the most difficult obstacle to install.
Designer of the obstacle, Doug Whitaker, said it took nearly five days to build off-site, then transport to campus and reassemble.
“We’re gonna make sure we do it first,” said Samper.
He said final touches of all obstacles and a test run of the course will be done by Benjamin Dash and University staff prior to the day of the event to ensure it is safe for runners.
According to Martinez, about 300 participants registered through the Benjamin Dash website.
But Martinez said he expected a surge of registrants the day before the event through sites such as LivingSocial and Rush49.com, where he said the majority of people sign up.
For University students and staff, packet pickup will be held today, Friday, Oct. 3 in the BBC Rec Center between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
All participants will receive dog tags courtesy of the Benjamin Dash and water bottles on behalf of the BBC Rec Center.
Students and staff must bring their FIU OneCard to receive their packets, or they must pay the difference for the event via debit or credit card.
Ireysis Ramos, a junior psychology major and front desk clerk of the BBC Rec Center, said she recently started at BBC this fall after taking her first two years of college online.
Although Ramos will be working the day of the dash, she said the event is for a great cause and is conveniently hosted on campus so students can participate.
“They bring it to your house,” said Ramos. “Apart from working, you don’t have an excuse not to do it.”
-sofia.galiano@fiusm.com
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