Tuff Howler: Building Community One Obstacle at a Time

On Thursday October 27, University Recreation hosted its 3rd annual Halloween themed obstacle course, the Tuff Howler. Formally known as the Monster Dash, race organizers changed the name to the Tuff Howler to better connect with NC State and represent the ruggedness of the course. The event celebrates both Homecoming by incorporating NC State history and Halloween by encouraging participants to wear costumes.

Located on Centennial Campus, participants faced both physical and mental challenges. First, participants had their NC State knowledge tested by Homecoming week trivia.  After answering three questions correctly, they received a coin which unlocked their ability to advance into the physical aspect of the 5k race. The remainder of the course included low crawls, crawling over hay bales, paddling through Lake Raleigh and carrying a pumpkin to the finish line.

The inspiration of the event is to engage the NC State community during Homecoming week while being inclusive to all fitness levels. The event is purposefully designed to be completed in teams, not individually.  According to Will Craig, Coordinator of Strength and Conditioning, “We want to provide something that people can do together. Connect, and form friendships and bond as well as connect with NC State during homecoming week.”  

The events builds community by completing the challenges in groups, encouraging students to rely on their team members to advance. The sense of community strengthened across the different teams in the event, as they shared the experience and memory of the Tuff Howler together. Participants described the Tuff Howler as an event to have fun competing and getting dressed up in costumes with friends. Fernando Montero, an exchange student from Spain, believes the Tuff Howler is a “multicultural event and great way to meet other students through fun competition.”

The Halloween themed obstacle course has increased in popularity since its inception three years ago. Due to increased popularity, race organizers have created an option for teams of two. This year 43 teams registered for the event, compared to 20 teams in 2014.

The winning four person team was “Fanta Vier”, completing the race in 37 minutes. The team “Spitball” won the two person heat with a time of 32 minutes.