Basically, a Mudder Legionnaire is someone who has completed 2 Tough Mudder events, with at least one of those events being in 2014. As soon as you cross the finish line on your second Mudder, you become a Legionnaire. This means that half way through your second Mudder, you aren't a Legionnaire yet - only after you cross that second finish line.
Tough Mudder Legionnaires get a few benefits over first time Mudders. These include:
- Access to Legionnaires Loop
- Brand new exclusive obstacle
- Option to bypass Electroshock Therapy
- Legionnaires headbands
- Becoming a Tough Mudder leader
Legionnaires Loop
At some point on your next Tough Mudder event, you will see a sign splitting people off into two different directions, one way continuing on like usual towards the finish line, and the other is the Legionnaires Loop. This Loop is an extra part of the course, only for the multi Mudders. It is an extra kilometre or so, complete with a few repeated obstacles that you've seen on Mudder courses before, except they are twice as long and twice as hard. These repeated obstacles can be anything, and are always different at each Mudder event around the world. After the Legionnaires Loop is over, you will rejoin the first time Mudders back on track towards the finish line. As well as the repeater obstacles, there will also be one brand new exclusive Legionnaires only obstacle.
Tough Mudder have really pulled out all the stops with this Legionnaires campaign so far this year. Some of the Legionnaire only obstacles look amazing. These obstacles are more challenging, more terrifying, and much more fun than the rest of the 25+ obstacles on course. Three different Legionnaire only obstacles have been spotted so far this year, with plenty more to come, promises Tough Mudder. Pyramid Scheme, A Frame, and Fire in your Hole.
I won't go into huge detail for these obstacles, as they will be covered in the Obstacle Series at a later date, but I will leave you with some photos featuring the Fire In Your Hole obstacle.
I have talked about bypassing obstacles before due to fears in previous posts, so you should all know my feelings on this subject. Under no circumstances should any Mudder, especially Legionnaires, bypass an obstacle, even if they are given a free pass to do so. That is not the Mudder way! Yes, Tough Mudder say you've earned the break from getting shocked, but what is the point of half assing the course? Get back in the Electroshock Therapy obstacle Legionnaires, and complete the course in its entirety!
This is what brings Mudders back time and time again - those multi-coloured headbands that are appearing everywhere this year. With the introduction of Mudder Legion this year, came the Legion Headbands - 5 new coloured headbands, representing how many Tough Mudders you have completed in your lifetime.
Green for 2 Mudders
Blue for 3 Mudders
Yellow for 4, 5 and 6 Mudders (you only get one headband for these)
Pink for 7, 8 and 9 Mudders
And finally, the black and orange headband, awarded to those who have completed a staggering 10 Tough Mudders. Think about that for a second. 10 Laps of Tough Mudder. 200 km of Tough Mudder. 250 odd Tough Mudder obstacles. Amazing.
When you become a Legionnaire, and return for yet another lap of the Tough Mudder course wearing your new headband, you are automatically recognised as a true Tough Mudder Leader. You will inspire people on course, and will be looked at to help out those in need. These Legionnaires know what camaraderie is all about. If you are a first timer, look for those around you wearing the above coloured headbands for help along the course. They will be more than happy to run with you, and help a fellow Mudder out.
Registering on Event Day
From what I have seen personally, it seems that Australasia and North America Tough Mudders are different with registering as a Legionnaire on event day. In Australasia, you just register as per usual like everyone else pre-event. Hand in your signed paperwork with your license, and get ready for your wave time to start. Apparently in North American Mudders, you actually have to go to a different tent to hand in your paperwork, while wearing your orange headband from the last Mudder you completed.
Many people have no idea how to claim their new headbands. Tough Mudder's Facebook pages are always swamped with people asking how to go about getting these, and many other questions regarding the headbands. Hopefully by the time you've finished this article, you will understand everything about being a Legionnaire!
I can only talk from experience with the Australasian Tough Mudders (Australia and New Zealand), but what happened at each of the 4 events I have completed this year, was once you cross the finish line and get your orange headband, you go up to the finishers tent and talk to the volunteers there. They ask for your name, and they match it up on the list they have printed out. This list (supposedly) tells them every single Mudder at that certain event, and how many Mudders total that person has run. They find your name, and give you your headband in relation to the amount of Mudders you've run.
This is not a foolproof system, as I have personally found out. At the time of writing this, I have completed 6 Mudders, 4 in 2014. At all 4 of those 2014 Mudders, the volunteers either didn't have my name listed down on the Legionnaires list, or the amount of Mudders they had me down for was totally wrong. Luckily the Tough Mudder volunteers were nice enough to take me on my word when I told them the actual amount I had run.
One more thing regarding these headbands, events can and have run out of certain colours. They ran out of 4-6x headbands at Melbourne Mudder in March when I ran, and didn't have any headbands above blue at New Zealand in April. They did, however, take down my details (phone number, email address etc) and said they would send my 4-6x headband through to me. That was back in April, and I am yet to receive my headband, though I have received email confirmation that it is on its way. Fingers crossed!
Don't forget the Obstacle Series posts, every Tuesday and Friday, featuring every single Tough Mudder obstacle, with explanations of how to overcome, how to train for, and tips on how to beat them.
Now go sign up for another event to get that next Tough Mudder Legion Headband!
#TMTour2014