Contemporary Strategy Analysis, 10th Edition

Case 1Tough Mudder Inc.: Building Leadership in Mud Runs*

Really tough. But really fun. When I got back to the office on Monday morning, I looked at my colleagues and thought: “And what did you do over the weekend?”

—TOUGH MUDDER PARTICIPANT

Tough Mudder has its origins in a business plan written by Harvard MBA student, Will Dean, for entry in the school's annual business plan competition. The business concept was inspired by Tough Guy, an annual obstacle course race based on British special forces training.

On graduating from Harvard, Dean and his friend, Guy Livingstone, launched their first Tough Mudder event. On May 21, 2010, at Bear Creek ski resort, Pennsylvania, 4500 participants battled through a grueling 10‐mile course.

By 2018, Tough Mudder Inc. had hosted about 200 events involving over two million participants, it employed over 200 people, and had revenues of about $100 million a year. During 2018, Tough Mudder would host 55 two‐day events involving up to half a million participants. The challenges include wading through a dumpster filled with ice (the “Arctic Enema”), climbing a vertical tube through a cascade of water (“Augustus Gloop”), and dashing through live wires carrying up to 10,000 volts (“Electroshock Therapy”). Tough Mudder's website described the experience as follows:

Tough Mudder events are team‐based obstacle course challenges designed to test your all‐around strength, stamina and mental grit, while encouraging teamwork and camaraderie. With the ...