In pictures: Mud, sweat and cheers as hundreds enjoy race

Competitors turned yesterday for a gruelling 10k assault course around Weston Park, near Shifnal.

The proceeds from the Kick Ass Endurance challenge went to the Fire Fighters Charity, but many were running for a range of causes close to their heart. Organiser Jamie Mills said more than 600 people took part, about 100 of them children.

"It has gone better than what we had expected," he said. "We have put in more obstacles this year, more challenges.

"We've got a barbed wire crawl-under trench, some massive walls to get over and the Amos Brewery brook, which is waist-high with thick mud – it takes people at least 10 minutes to get through."

After enduring that, runners then had to dodge tackles by American football team the Sandwell Steelers.

Sam Busher, the club's general manager, said: "We're the last part of the course and we're here to take people down; it's a bit like the TV show Gladiators. We'll go easier on the kids but I've seen a few Army lads who I think can take it – and anyone in fancy dress is going down!"

The "Army lads" may have been a group from 238 Squadron at RAF Cosford who were raising money for Midlands Air Ambulance.

James Vaughan, squadron instructor, said: "With the air ambulance being based at Cosford it made sense."

Fellow instructor Adam Cooper said: "It started as a bit of a joke, really. One or two guys said 'we could do this', but when we saw there was a group discount for 10 or more people so we decided we all should."

Lee Chapman, Shropshire councillor for Church Stretton and Craven Arms, was there with son Ed and his friend Sam McLoughlin, both 16-year-old Shrewsbury School students. Councillor Chapman said he was thinking about doing a mud run and had come to to check out what it was like.

He said Ed was running for the Shrewsbury House community centre in Liverpool, while Sam was running for Medic Malawi to raise money to give in aid when going out to the African country next year.

Sam said: "I'll be going to help out in a local village called St Andrews and doing anything that needs doing."

Another happy runner was Rodney Dunn, 24, a postman from Ackleton, near Bridgnorth, who said: "Some of it is quite challenging, especially the water with the barrels: you think it's easy but you keep slipping, you can't get hold of them."