Pre-mud.
The fifth Mudder Event at Rangitikei Farmstay near Marton last weekend drew nearly 600 competitors from throughout New Zealand.
Farmstay and sheep and beef farm owner Andrew Stewart said it was the biggest yet and definitely the most fantastic.
"It was a perfect day and yes we had plenty of mud.''
Competitors had really jumped into the swing of things, he said.
"There were some fantastic costumes.''
Adventure seekers looking for a challenge got all that and more, he said.
The Mudder, an obstacle course on water-sodden farmland had 3km, 5km and 8km options.
The course, set up on organiser Andrew Stewart's sheep and beef farm, 12 kilometres north of Marton, had 3km, 5km and 8km course options.
"This is no flat, dawdle around some obstacle course on the edge of suburbia.
"The rugged hill country makes for plenty of lung burning and calf-aching even before you throw in the obstacles,'' Stewart said.
The course was designed to maximise the natural assets of the working sheep and beef farm, he said.
"Many of the obstacles are based on natural springs that have guaranteed mud all year round. There is a dam with a floating island to crawl over, a 100-year-old tree with roots straight out of a Hobbit scene and plenty of dams, bogs and hills.''
Riders and spectators in Whanganui are anticipating the start of the last race.