ADRENALINE junkies ran, crawled and waded their way through a challenging assault course at The Secret Nuclear Bunker in Kelvedon Hatch yesterday. SEE PICTURES FROM THE EVENT HERE
Lactic Rush began in 2011 with just 180 competitors but the 2013 event featured 1,230 participants.
The seven mile course featured 30 obstacles including tyres, tree trunks, nets and ditches.
The annual event is organised by adventure runner Tracey Alexandrou in conjunction with farmer James Parrish, whose father Mike owns and runs the bunker.
Mrs Alexandrou, a personal trainer whose clients include five-time World snooker champion Ronnie O'Sullivan, said: "I really enjoy these races and I was convinced that others would enjoy it too - and I was right.
"We tried to keep everything in touch with the natural landscape, so we had trees, rivers, nets, landslides - we just wanted it as natural as possible.
"I vary the course every year and I think the hardest part of the course has the be where they have to get in and out of the River Roding - that's tough.
"People do not realise how many hours work goes into it - we are here clearing up stinging nettles, setting up the course, testing the course is a good two months of work."
The first Lactic Rush in 2011 was won by Mr O'Sullivan and although he was invited to this year's event he was too busy to attend.
Among the competitors that the Gazette spoke to were a couple of old school friends who decided to take on the challenge to begin their "year of banter."
Florence Emond, 19, and Phoebe Ohehe, 18, are both from Ingatestone and both attended the Anglo European School.
Miss Ohehe said: "To be honest we could not get into the Maldon Mud Race this year so we had to find another race to kick off our year of activities.
"This one is a little bit crazier than we would have hoped for and it was definitely more of a challenge than other runs out there."
Miss Emond said: "We are into running, but not necessarily this type of running, I mainly do off road.
"There are a lot more guys here because this race is probably a lot more of a macho thing - it's not pretty."
Everyone from rugby clubs, boot camps and groups of friends signed up for the event this year.
Mrs Alexandrou said the majority of runners were from Essex, although there were competitors from Cambridgeshire and Wales too.
This year the main event was preceded by both a mini-rush and a teen rush, which 100 and 70 participants respectively.
There were 36 marshalls at the event, including mum and daughter, Jean Fordham and Jen Fordham, 28.
Mrs Fordham, 54, from North Weald, said: "I think we've helped out since the very first one.
"Tracey puts so much into these events, she tests out the courses herself before she makes any do them.
"We are here to make it all easier for her; it is really a friends and family affair and it makes a difference to the atmosphere."
This year, Mrs Alexandrou decided to donate the proceeds to Georgia's Teenage Cancer Appeal.
The charity is named after former Brentwood School pupil Georgia Cordery, who died three years ago from a rare type of cancer called Rhabomyosarcoma just before her 15th birthday.
Helping on the stand were mums, Kirsty Dailly, 38, from Ingatestone, and Alison Taylor, 47, from Galleywood, both of whose children were friends of Georgia.
Mrs Dailly, the wife of former West Ham footballer and Scotland captain Christian Dailly, said: "It was very kind to be invited here by Tracey.
"We just want more people to know about us so we can help out more charities.
"Georgia's death was a real shock to everyone - she was so popular, sporty and pretty.
"We help people with really small things, like taxi rides to hospital, but we have also given £10,000 for the chemotherapy department at Queens Hospital.
"We need more support and awareness to carry on with this work in our local area."
