Some of our team preferred short sleeve t-shirts but the majority thought long sleeves were better and offered a bit of protection for the elbows during the crawling sections (i.e. the narrow concrete underground tunnels, the nettle covered 'under barb-wire' section... Shorts didn't offer the protection of long track bottoms, but were cooler and weighed less when mud covered (which is a big factor). Bah, so we get scrapped up a bit, its no big deal...

Some of the team did fine without gloves and acquired a few blisters and scrapes during the event. The majority of us found the gloves useful on the rope sections, and enabled high speed sliding decents which would have burned flesh if we didn't have them. We opted for light weight garden gloves (not heavy duty leather gloves) and they seemed to cope well and were comfy. These have little rubber bobbles which aid the grip.

Normal running shoes offer poor grip in the mud and on the steep hilly sections and we saw loads of folk struggling and slipping. We opted for cross-country running shoes with little rubber knobblies on the bottom and they worked very well (note: spikes are not permitted in the event). Socks - wear what ever you think will help keep out pine needles, gravel, small stones... Some guys applied duct tape to seal the shoe to the sock but it lasted only a few minutes.

You'll be provided with a racing number, but don't forget to bring 6 small pins to mount it to the front of your shirt.

The info pack you'll receive will contain your disclaimer form - don't forget this either. You'll need to complete it and hand it in when registering. They will write your race number on your arm or your forehead which will enable you to compete.

The summer Tough Guy event is often held on the hottest day of the year. Don't forget to bring suntan lotion.

Water will be provided on the course, but bring plenty of water for drinking before and after the event.

The showers are uh... an experience and its best not to expect any homestyle comforts! At the end of this event you'll be damn muddy and stink worse than a baboons slipper. Bring a towel, soap, and a full change of clothes. When you get home, have a proper shower, clean your ears (2 of our team got ear infections from the swampy water), and enjoy the experience of blowing dried mud from your nose.

Bring plenty cash for the pub to celebrate your teams achievement. The pub is a great location to relax and compare bruises, scrapes, and swollen limbs. Any spare cash can be put towards a zimmer frame... you may need it for the following day!