Thousands of women get dirty at Kissing Bridge for a good cause

COLDEN — Linda McCurty from Pennsylvania traveled to Kissing Bridge on Sept. 8 to get dirty.

This was the second time she and her friends have come to Western New York for the annual Dirty Girl Mud Run, the stated goal of which is to empower women through companionship and teamwork, as they embark on a 5K mud run to help raise money and awareness for the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

McCurty, who finished the course in approximately 2 hours, wiped the mud from her neck and plopped it on the ground in front of her.

“Perfect weather for this,” the 28-year-old said, of the drizzle raining from the sky. “It was harder than it was last year, too. I’m getting out of shape, or something.”

While the exact participant numbers were not available by press time, an organizer estimated that as many as 8,000 women showed up on Saturday. Another race was also held the next day, Sept. 9.

McCurty said she does not have a family member or close friend who has battled cancer, but that she knows that, at any time, she or someone she knows and loves “will be stricken with the disease. I’m lucky, I guess,” she said. “But you never know what can happen.”

Approximately 2.5 percent of all registration fees are given to the National Breast Cancer Foundation.

According to the Dirty Girls website, organizers exceeded their goal last year, by raising $50,000 for the cause. The stated goal this year is to raise at least $250,000.

On the day of the Saturday event, cars were parked along Route 240 for at least 2 miles in each direction.

Jake Shefflefield of Buffalo watched his sister and friends participate in the run and he said he did not remember it being so crowded, last year.

The is the second annual event that is held at several locations throughout the United States.

Participants slog through the course, running, ducking, sliding and climbing over a variety of obstacles. Some emerge at the finish line with only their shoes caked in mud while others emerge covered from head to toe.

Along the fence line, husbands, brothers and friends crowded together to watch.

One onlooker watched his girlfriend round the corner of the hilltop, climb over a cement traffic barrier and hold her arms up at the finish line.

“She’s crazy,” he said, with a laugh. “But you gotta give them credit. I don’t know if I’d do it, if they had something for guys to do.”

For more information, visit www.godirtygirl.com.