Tough Mudder athletes complain of rash after Sonoma County race

The Tough Mudder race was held at the Sonoma Raceway on Aug. 19 and 20. People who clambered through the mud and maneuvered around obstacles like a barbed wire fence have posted on social media that they came down with an infection from the event that’s given them a rash, fever and muscle aches.

Sonoma County’s interim health officer Dr. Karen Smith told KTVU that at least 22 people contacted the agency to report rashes of red bumps filled with puss, fever, and body aches. 

“If your rash isn’t getting any better or you have a fever, we want you to go see your doctor,” Smith said. “We want doctors to have the right information so they know which things to consider, staph infections being one of them, but what we don’t want to have happen is because it looks like staph, we don’t want them to just treat for staph and find out it’s something else.”

Runners have shared photos of their irritated skin with KTVU. In some cases, their arms and legs are covered with what look like puss-filled pimples or bug bites.

“It was the next morning and I started noticing I had breakouts on my stomach,” said Rowe, adding that her friend had a rash too. “I had a headache. I had chills and really bad body aches.”