Red Wolves - IU East

You start by running five obstacle-filled kilometers. You jump over fire pits as you start your closing kick. You finish by crawling through mud under rows of barbed wire.

Now that's a cross country race.

Incoming Indiana University East freshman cross country runner Patrick Smith (Fountain City, Ind./Northeastern High School) braved those elements to finish 14th out of 7,595 competitors in the Midwest Warrior Dash on June 19 in Joliet, Ill.

Smith finished the 5K race in 19:35. He led his heat of about 500 people. He finished seventh in the 14-19 age group.

"I was really happy," Smith said. "I would have liked a better time, but you can't complain too much when you are 14th out of that many."

The Warrior Dash is a series of extreme cross country races held across the nation.

The Warrior Dash bills itself on its Web site as "the ultimate event for thrill-seeking athletes. This running series is held on some of the nation's most demanding and unique terrain. Participants will conquer extreme obstacles and celebrate their feat with music, warrior helmets and muddy shorts."

Smith heard about the Warrior Dash from a fellow runner.

"Once I saw it, I said, 'I have to try it,'" Smith said. "The race itself was a lot of fun but not comparable to anything around here."

The course in Joliet featured giant hay bales, wooden and cargo net walls, sections made to resemble scrapyards or swamps, and much more.

Runners approaching the end of the course had to jump over two fire pits and then crawl under barbed wire and through mud to the finish line.

"It was really fun, especially coming around the last corner in first place in my heat and knowing I was going to win my heat," Smith said.

"The biggest thing was just my result. I was shocked because after my heat I went to see if I was in the top three and I was 10th overall, and only four more people beat me the rest of the day. It was just a really cool experience."

Smith and the Red Wolves cross country runners start practices Aug. 1. IU East's first meet of the 2010 season is Sept. 2 at the A-J Special at Asbury University.

Click here to view IU East's 2010 cross country schedule.