This was my first ever competitive racing competition since high school track. I was excited to be doing a race where I get a bib number! A few of my friends signed up and encouraged me to sign up as well, then a Groupon came up so I had no more excuses. First of all, the thing that stood out the most to me is just how well organized this event was. From the email notifications, the flow of getting in, starting the run, cleaning up, exiting, all was well designed and I couldn't think of how they could have done it any better! Next up is the challenge of the race. I must add that the fact that I even made it out to the race is amazing because I was running a fever leading up to the dash and if it weren't for the Advil I would have still had a fever race time. I'm in pretty good shape since my girl and I do Camelback a couple times a week but this was a hard race! The 14 obstacles take so much out of you, then you have to keep running after. I wonder how more people don't get hurt on some of them but I guess everyone knows what they are getting into. A few other notes, Warrior Dash teamed up with Green Sneakers so you can donate your mud covered shoes at the end. The giant pile of shoes makes a great photo-op when you stand on top. You also get so many giveaways which is super awesome! I got a hella comfy shirt, a warrior dash hat, a well deserved metal, a free beer at the end. I felt like I got more than my money worth and if it even cost more than the full price I paid I would still go! Here are some protips for first timers for next year: 1. Don't leave your phone in your car, bring it with you so you can take pictures before and after the race, just check it in (their check in system is awesome!) 2. Leave a change of clothes in the car for after the event. Check in a pair of flip flops with your phone/ID so you can change into that right after the race and toss your shoes into the donate pile. 3. Bring you ID so you can get your wristband for your free beer. 4. Bring towels/bags to put your muddy clothes in and put on the seats if you don't end up changing out of those muddy shorts. 5. Take some time and plan out an awesome costume that you can run in. We weren't super creative but our group of 4 dressed up and had a blast! One last thing.... Best costume, this guy dressed up with a black tank top, black pants and a fully functioning boom box which he bungee corded to himself going over obstacles. We stayed pace with him most the race and he was bumping awesome 80's rock. See you next year warrior dash! read more

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Trekking through mud, jumping over fire, hurdling over cars and tires... what better way to spend your Sunday afternoon! This was my first Warrior Dash event and it was AWESOME! 10+ of my classmates did the race and had a blast! A friend and I dressed up in tiger costumes and by the end, I lost my ears, tail, and sweated off my face paint... It is one of my favorite events here! At the end, you can trade in the chip they give you (tracks your time) for a free beer. They give you a free medal, shirt, and warrior hat. All of which is awesome!!! If you think you can't do it, think again. You've got people of all ages and people in costume doing the race! Also, at each station there's workers watching you in case of injury. The only thing I'd change about it is they need to make the after race a place for people to chill and hang out more. More food stands would be a plus. Tip: Grab the Groupon like we did, only cost $30! read more

I love doing these mud runs/obstacle course things. Almost everyone participating is there for one thing, and that's to have fun. Sure, there are a few real runners, with the short shorts, fancy sneakers, and lungs of steel, but how can you consider crawling up a giant stack of hay a personal best? this particular run holds events throughout the nation and lucky for us, they stopped in AZ this weekend. apparently, the demand was so high, they had to add an extra day to accommodate all the participants. my gal and i dressed up in our finest "prom" outfit courtesy of goodwill for the 3 mile course. along the way, we encountered a barbed wired, crawl under and over thing, a wall requiring ropes to overcome, some old cars to jump and scramble over, a giant pyramid of hay to ascend and descend, and a river of fire to jump over, along with 2-3 balance beam type obstacles. culminating in trudging through, on our bellies, a very sloppy, gungky mud pit. thus we emerged victorious in our efforts, covered in slop, our prom outfits completely ruined! FABULOUS! it seemed like there were thousands of participants. rightly so, as there were waves of 200+ starting every 30 minutes from 9am until 4pm. my two gripes.....paying to park, in a field, after we paid admission. 10 bucks a car. and the ceremonies. warrior dash waits until 1-2 hours after the last wave to do awards which would mean around 6pm. no way people who started at 9am are going to hang around, in the desert sun, eating overpriced hotdogs and hamburgers all day (they don't allow you to bring in outside food or beverage). so we left, knowing our costumes were THE BEST! anyway, fun event to do with your significant other or some buddies. read more

I showed up with my team of coaches from Team Phoenix Rising and we had an absolute blast! We had a staggered start time so we could pass off keys and cell phones etc not realizing they have a place you can check those items for safe keeping. We definitely decided that next yet we would all run together and put some thought into a fun costume because there were some really creative and funny people there. From a bunch of people dressed like Richard Simmons to men in grass skirts to a bunch of guys in a suit running with a brief case...it was just plain FUN! For next time I would definitely bring a bigger group and make a day of it. I spend most of my race money on more "serious" races but this is definitely one not to be missed! I agree with the last reviewer that parking should not be so expensive and they should lower the price of a turkey leg for goodness sake! We will be back next year! read more

Comparing this event to the Spartan Race, the Warrior Dash is better race for people who aren't competitive runners. It's only 5K and the obstacles aren't that hard to complete. Parking was smooth going in and out and check in (for your wallet, car keys, etc.) was quick/safe. If this is your first time doing this type of run here are a couple of tips: *Wear a pair of shoes you don't mind not using again - during the race the mud portion basically ruins your shoes so just donate them to the pile they have stacked up at the end of the race (they all go to charity) *Bring a spare outfit to change in afterwards - you can leave it with the check in *Also bring extra towels to dry off/protect your car *Try to run really early in the day or late afternoon- that way you aren't running in 100 degree weather My only complaint is the showing system after the race: they just have one large hose that sprays groups of people. The one thing I really liked about the Spartan Race was they had a shower area with a bunch of hoses where you could wash yourself off. Much more efficient IMO. read more

This was our group's 2nd time doing AZ Warrior Dash! A few months after last year's run, we were sent an email for a discounted entry to enter this year's, so we thought, ""What the heck? Why not do it again?" Instead of dressing up in Superman shirts and Superman underwear, we decided to go with Dodgeball's Average Joes costumes. You don't have to dress up, but it's alot more fun that way. This year, there was even a runner that dressed up as teen wolf from the 80s movie, but he was even a wolf dressed in basketball player attire. There were teenage mutant ninja turtles, smurfs, and of course, lots of super heroes. Thankfully we signed up for a Saturday this time instead of a Sunday so we could hang out for awhile after the race. We had just as much fun, if not more fun than last year. The mud was alot better! At the end you could swim through the muddy water instead of last year where the mud was almost dry and it felt like crawling through that glass ice you find in fancy fireplaces. This year included climbing up alot more A-frame type obstacles whether if it was pulling yourself up a rope, climbing a cargo net, or climbing up steps to slide down a fireman's pole. The only things that were only slightly bothersome were some of the lines to even do the obstacles, especially the first obstacle, the rope climb up a angled platform and one of the middle obstacles, basically a tight rope walk across a small body of muddy water. You just have to keep thinking, "This is all just for fun! So what's wrong with waiting 10 mins?" I guess I wouldn't have minded if it was cooler outsisde. The temperature read 93 degrees when we started our 11:00am wave. There were only 2 water stations throughout the race. I really didn't want to carry a water bottle while running, like Warrior Dash had suggested in an email, so I'm thinking of wearing a small cheap waterpak next time. I wish they could do the race just a few weeks, or even a month earlier. The heat was intense this year when the breeze wasn't blowing. Temperature aside, we had an awesome time!!! It's even fun hanging out afterwards listening to the music and bands. Bring a pop up canopy or chairs with an umbrella for comfort if you plan on hanging out though! read more

Screaming Ant - We played at the Warrior Dash Last year and we are on the bill again this year which is awesome! I love the fact that you can do the obstacles and then when you come out of the mud you go smack dab right into a party.!! I remember this girl that was dancing in front of us and she gave the whole event a feel of Woodstock, and then it all changed because three guys in business suite with brief case covered in mud came by and then it became this surreal event! This year you will be able to camp out at "Dashlands" and from what I hear it will be a weekend to remember! read more

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Tons of fun! We thought it was well organized, gear check, changing tents, runs, etc. Other than running out of TP in the porta-shitters, they were on it. The T shirts are nice, hats are funny. I would have liked to push it for time, but the lines at the climb and tight rope were about ten minutes, so we didn't care that much about our finish time. It was all about having fun. I loved the costumes. The bear naked granola people were fun and the guys on the mic durring the start and finish hyped us up. Groupon hooked us up! Made it worth it! read more

This was a crazy fun experience for anyone who is active in any way! I would say the difficulty level is easy considering intensity, stamina and obstacles. I ran the warrior dash with my hubby, sister and her hubby. Eric was able to get through it with the flu and my sister and her man were able to get through it even though they don't really run. The climbing was incredibly easy since they give you a rope and steps..I was like really?! That's it?! Getting dirty in the mud and jumping over the tiny lines of fire was fun too! I hoped for something more challenging, but at least it was a lot of fun! Plus the free shirt is super soft and the buffalo hat is amazing. Can't complain, but I probably won't do it again since it was too easy. Just sayin! read more