Tough Guy & Gal Challenge

New Zealand's original mud run series, the Tough Guy and Gal Challenge, brings its family obstacle course to the Kumeu Showgrounds in West Auckland. Teams of two to five — each combining at least one adult with one or more children aged 5 to 17 — clamber over climbing walls, wade through mud pits, and crawl through tunnels together across a roughly 3km course set on rugged farmland and natural terrain.

The format is deliberately collaborative: there are no merit prizes, just a finishers medal for every competitor and spot prizes drawn at prize-giving. Wave starts of around 80 people keep the course from getting crowded, and teams are welcome whether they're chasing the clock or simply out for a muddy whanau adventure.

Covered shoes are compulsory, and a dry change of clothes afterwards is strongly recommended — everyone will get wet and muddy. Children as young as five can take part, making this one of the few obstacle events genuinely built around mixed-age family teams rather than just tolerating them.