The semi-annual endurance race puts competitors through an extreem obstacle course including fire and water after a cross country run, as hundreds of competitors struggle during the challenge.
The phenomena has now evolved into cult status to a world wide audience, organisors say.
Shocked and surprised ... a competitor surfaces in a water obstacle.
Thousands run the biannual assault course and are challenged by 21 different obstacles including, fire, tunnels and swamps.
Ouch! ... a man grimaces as he makes his way through a fiery obstacle .
Mud mask ... a competitor reacts to being bathed in mud.
Slippery landing ... an exhausted "tough guy" falls in the mud .
Quick step ... running through a burning field has to hurt .
Hide and seek ... smoke billows through the air, masking a competitor in a green mankini.
Slow motion ... the look of pain on this man's face is clear .
Coming to get you ... the infamous green mankini man makes it through the burning field.
Hat attack ... a competitor surfaces in a water obstacle to find his hat torn.
Laying low ... a "tough guy" crawls underneath barbed wire .
Yet another obstacle ... crawling across ropes is enough to test any man's arm strength .
Save me ... a woman helps a challenger from a pit of murky water .
Now that's a mud bath ... people pull competitors from a muddy pond .
Water water everywhere ... a man emerges from the murky water.
Helping hand ... a bathing cap won't do much good keeping this man mud-free ..
Climbing high ... competitors take to the ropes ..
Turning up the heat ... a man takes on a fiery field ..
Now that's tough ... running through fire is easy for this guy .
Here I come ... out of the water and headed for the finish line .
