Teenager, 16, takes mud race crown with no prep

A 16-year-old managed to fight off competition from hundreds of plucky competitors to win an annual race through a boggy riverbed.

The brave racegoers ran, walked and crawled across a 440m (1,443ft) stretch of the River Blackwater earlier in the Maldon Mud Race.

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The first race kicked off at 14:30 BST and was impressively won by Albert who admitted he had done no preparation.

This year also saw the first ever elite race for the super-fit which was won by John Matthews who had only decided to take it on last week.

Albert told the BBC after the race: “[It was] very good, but very hard. I never thought I’d win.”

Asked if he had done any preparation, he added: “None at all, absolutely nothing.

“My legs are burning, but my head is very happy.

“I don’t know how I did it… I’ll be coming back next year.”

Albert’s dad, Paralympian and world record holder in the 800m, Danny Crates, said he could not believe how well his son did.

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“Being the youngest and potentially setting a record time makes it special as well,” he said.

“He’s put me to shame. I’d still be out there now if I’d run it.”

The elite race took place at 15:30 after the course had been churned up by the other competitors.

Matthews, after his win, told the BBC: “It was much harder than I thought it would be, near enough impossible.

“You have to pull your legs out with your hands, it was near enough a full body workout.”

Despite only having decided to race last week, he was confident of the win and joked, “I couldn’t lose to an Olympian”, in reference to boxer Lewis Richardson, who also took part.

The river temperature was expected to be about 8C during the race.

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The event has helped raise thousands for charity over the years. The idea was born out of a dare made to the landlord of the Queen’s Head pub in 1973, who had to serve a meal on a strip of land in the river at low tide.

Chairman Brian Farrington said this year’s event had been “absolutely fantastic” with “brilliant” weather and all competitors had “survived”.

He said the elite race was a “bit of an experiment” but was a success.

“I think they thought it was easy ’til they did it, then they realised,” he continued.

“We’ll definitely do it again and add some more difficulties next time.”

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Additional reporting by Alex Dunlop and Lauren Carter.

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