Back to Badminton.
South West was part of my first full Tough Mudder season in 2026, so returning in 2027 feels a little different. By this point, the year should already have included London West, Scotland, World’s Toughest Mudder and the Midlands, which means this will be less about proving that I can do Tough Mudder and more about seeing just how far the whole 2027 challenge can be pushed.
Unlike some of the other weekends, this one is relatively straightforward.
There is no Infinity at South West and the Sunday is given over to the sister events, so my Tough Mudder weekend will be concentrated into Saturday: the 15K followed by the 5K.
On paper, that makes it one of the lighter weekends of the year.
By this stage of 2027, I suspect “lighter” may be doing quite a lot of work.
Back where I’ve been before
Badminton is already familiar territory.
That brings with it a different sort of challenge. There is less uncertainty about the venue and more opportunity to compare how I feel, how I move and how I cope with the course against the previous year.
If everything has gone to plan, I should also arrive here carrying a lot more endurance, a lot more obstacle experience and probably a considerably higher tolerance for mud.
The goal is simple: enjoy the familiarity, complete both distances and keep the European calendar challenge moving.
The fourth Trifecta
There is also something rather significant riding on this Saturday.
Because Scotland is currently only a single-day event but does include Infinity, the structure of the 2027 calendar means that completing the 15K and 5K at South West should give me my fourth and final Tough Mudder Trifecta of the year.
Four Trifectas.
With the current schedule, that should be the maximum available in a single European season.
What started as a slightly ridiculous side target would, at Badminton, become complete.
That makes this weekend more than simply another 15K and 5K.
It is potentially the point at which one of the quiet 2027 objectives gets ticked off.
Then there is still the small matter of finishing the rest of the calendar.