Turner's Creek welcomes 'savages'

KENNEDYVILLE — “It’s a playground for adults. When you’re a kid, you don’t think of it as exercise. It’s play. We’re trying to bring that back,” said pro obstacle course racer, Melia Ochsner. Soaking wet, covered in mud, and exhilarated, she exemplifies what the Savage Race is all about.

More than 25 obstacles spanned five to seven miles of terrain at Hopkins Game Farm at Turners Creek Road in Kennedyville last Saturday.

The weather was cold and it was drizzling all day. A distinct departure from the sunny weather we had all week.

That didn’t stop the “savages” — a name they give to every racer.

“Anybody who thinks we stop in the rain, has never been in a savage race,” said the emcee at the starting point.

He said this to fifty groups of people from all over the U.S. standing at the starting line, properly stretched out and pumped up from the music and encouraging words.

There were more than 2,000 participants total this time said an organizer. Some came from as far as Florida.

Many of them travelled from New York, Baltimore and Philadelphia, pointed out a volunteer, since Kent County is a kind of central point they can meet.

“It’s a great spot,” he said. “And when I talk to some city people they say, we’re in the middle of nowhere and they’re happy about it, especially when they see this set-up.”

Once the race started at 9 a.m. participants braved a 6.4 mile course, a loop around Hopkins Game Farm consisting of a swamp, hills, ropes, rings, swings, balance obstacles, a giant slide, plenty of ladders and climbing mechanisms.

One employee from Dixon Valve, production scheduler Lee Lewis, a former Marine, likened it to something in boot camp.

Except, in this race, there was no yelling. Just positive encouragement. Kids, adults, and teens united to take on the course. Cheers could be heard all around. Families on the sidelines pumped fists. Savages helped other savages complete the course.

The obstacles, although challenging, are not insurmountable. Fun and fitness is the focus.

When Savage Race was born in 2011, there were six rules to define what sets them apart from everyone else: have fun, have the best obstacles, teamwork and friendship, community matters, challenge beginners and experts — and maybe most importantly — no one expects you to beat all the obstacles; it’s normal to fail.

Since 2013, they’ve brought this mentality as well as their awe-inspiring obstacles to Turner’s Creek to challenge young and old.

Saturday’s race was one of two this year they’ll have at the location. If you didn’t get a chance to participate, the Savage team is coming back in the fall.