The Tough Mudder organization brought a series of endurance events to the wide-open spaces at Sterling Ranch the weekend of August 10th and 11th, 2019. Tough Mudder events showcase epic, mud-soaking obstacles which often play on common human fears such as fire, water, electricity and heights. Crossing a Tough Mudder finish line takes a whole lot of guts and radical teamwork as most obstacles require group participation.
This year’s nearly sold-out event here at Sterling Ranch was the first Tough Mudder to be hosted in the Denver-Metro area. We couldn’t have been more pleased with the turn-out and the excitement the event brought to our community.
“Everyone had smiles on their faces and the event ran incredibly smoothly thanks in large part to the Tough Mudder event organizers, the residents of Sterling Ranch, the surrounding community, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and our entire team at Sterling Ranch,” said Brock Smethills, of Sterling Ranch, and a Tough Mudder competitor. “The outdoor, fun, friendly spirit of the event reflects many of the values of Sterling Ranch: a place where people can escape into a joyful, natural, beautiful, quiet setting. We were proud to be selected for the first ever Tough Mudder to take place in the Denver metro area.”
Tough Mudder event series: Get the details
The Tough Mudder Classic course spanned over ten miles of Sterling Ranch open space and came fully-loaded with 25 obstacles meant to challenge every participant’s limits. Judging by the looks on every mud-soaked warrior’s face, we know it delivered.
The entire event was topped off with the Mudder Village Festival which featured authentic local food, cold beer, live entertainment, lawn games, giveaways and more.
We added to the festivities with face painting, music and games outside the Sterling Center for our residents and Tough Mudder participants alike. Hundreds stopped by to see us and register to win the kind of prizes every outdoor lover would cherish — including 20 Colorado State Parks passes and the grand prize … a rad, 2020 Trek Roscoe 7 Hardtail mountain bike from Wheat Ridge Cyclery!

Our community’s quality homebuilders also hosted tours of their model homes and provided promotions of their own. One thing is for sure…this epic event provided a fun-packed weekend for the whole family.
Check out this video to see exuberance this event brought to our community.
Tough Mudder course construction: Behind the scenes
Preparing for an event of this magnitude is nothing short of spectacular and the obstacle course assembly proved to be a monumental feat. Construction began about ten days before the first wide-eyed guests would arrive to compete. We snapped a few shots of the course under construction as our community prepared to welcome Tough Mudders from around the world.
Tough Mudder Sterling Ranch: By the numbers
We hosted nearly 8,000 Tough Mudder participants and a couple thousand spectators over the two-day event. Sterling Ranch, which comprises roughly 3,400 acres of land — 1,300 of which is dedicated to remaining open space — is well-equipped to host an event of this size. In fact, the thousands of guests were hardly noticed as traffic levels stayed mellow and the sort of disruptions one might expect from an event of this size were non-existent.
A huge THANK YOU to Sterling Ranch residents and volunteers
Our amazing residents and Sterling Ranch team members graciously volunteered to help make the event a huge success. Many we interviewed were surprised at how fun it was to not only act as hosts, but also participate in some of the muddy action. We are so grateful for the sense of community, connection and hospitality our residents continue to display as Sterling Ranch grows. Thank you to all who volunteered and participated in the Sterling Ranch Tough Mudder 2019. We couldn’t have done it without you!
Sterling Ranch encompasses the very essence of Colorado within it’s 3,400 acres. Sterling Ranch is nestled in the Rocky Mountain foothills and surrounded by Chatfield and Roxborough State Parks where residents enjoy the great outdoors, right outside their back doors. Gorgeous, Colorado-inspired homes are available for quick move-in now, with dozens of home designs available by our award-winning homebuilders. Learn more about the nature of Sterling Ranch.