Oxford is gearing up to play in the mud this summer, so get ready to get dirty.

Last week, representatives from Tough Mudder were in town meeting with local officials, talking with business people and scoping out the massive site for their big event June 3-4.

The 1,200-acre Koenig Sand and Gravel property along Lakeville Rd. will play host to this widely-popular, team-based obstacle course challenge that tests participants’ physical and mental strength, stamina and ability to work together to achieve common goals.

“It’s a unique thing that you can’t find anywhere else,” said Brendan Quinn, operations manager for Tough Mudder.

He noted it’s the perfect event for runners, CrossFit enthusiasts, self-described “weekend warriors” and anyone else seeking challenges, thrills or simply the chance to do something new.

“When’s the last time you did something for the first time? That’s what a lot of it comes down to,” Quinn said.

The event will consist of three courses:

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Tough Mudder – A 10-to-12-mile course containing about 21 hardcore, military-style obstacles that include slogging through endless gallons of mud, diving into freezing water filled with ice (the Arctic Enema) and running through a field of 1,000 dangling, live wires delivering 10,000-volt shocks (dubbed Electroshock Therapy).

“At least five or six (obstacles) will be new or changed,” Quinn said. “Two or three more will be ones that we’ve never done in Michigan before.”

Quinn noted as always, the Electroshock Therapy obstacle will be at the end, “right where people can see it.”

“That’s a popular one for people to watch,” he said.

Kylee Haggerty, senior operations supervisor for Tough Mudder, agreed.

“Grab a beer, sit down, watch people get shocked,” she said.

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Tough Mudder Half – A 5.2-mile course containing about 14 obstacles, minus the ice-laden water and electric shocks.

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Mini Mudder – This is a quarter-mile course featuring more than 10 obstacles for children ages 7 to 12. Kids must run around the course four times to do a full mile.

“It’s a lot of fun to see a group of kids trying to conquer obstacles like their parents,” Haggerty said.

Kids age 14 and older can participate in the full or half Tough Mudders, but they must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Based on current projections, Quinn said more than 6,000 people (participants, family members and spectators) are expected to attend on June 3 with an additional 1,200 to 1,300 folks the next day.

Quinn is excited about the sheer diversity of the Koenig site and how well it’s all going to fit together when transformed into a famed Tough Mudder course.

“It’s a new venue for us,” he said. “You have wooded paths. You have hills. You have open gravel. You have changes in elevation and scenery. You have these lakes and streams that offer some natural water . . .

have a lot of open, grassy fields. It’s got a little bit of everything.”

He loves all the “drop-offs and cliffs” formed by nature and decades of mining activity.

“We’re going to use those (as part of the course),” Quinn said. “We don’t get a lot of that in places like this. Usually, you have to go to the West Coast to get that.”

Even the mud itself is going to present quite a challenge.

“You have really sticky, thick, concrete-like mud,” Quinn said.

Quinn said the Tough Mudder course will encompass “most’ of the Koenig site.

“We’re staying clear of the property boundaries,” he noted. “We don’t like to bring people too close to the edge, especially when there’s homes there.”

During Tough Mudder events, groups of participants are released onto the course in waves every 15 minutes.

It’s not a competitive or timed event, so there are no medals or trophies for top-finishers. In fact, a number of the obstacles require participants to help each other in order to overcome them.

“You aren’t bowling each other over to get to the finish. You’re helping each other and you’re having fun,” Quinn explained.

“You’re not stressed. Nobody cares what your finish time was. Nobody knows when you started or how long you’ve been out there. You finish and you know you did something great with the people next to you.”

Quinn said what’s most important about the Tough Mudder experience is “it’s a bonding thing.”

“You become closer with the people who are on your team. You become closer with the people who are next to you and happen to be at that same obstacle,” he explained. “That’s something that speaks to people. That’s why this has taken off. That’s why we’ve kept it the way it has been. ”

“It’s a heightened sense of community,” Haggerty noted.

Quinn assured Oxford residents need not fear any disruptive or noisy behavior from Tough Mudder participants.

“People don’t get rowdy. It’s not like that,” he said. “This isn’t a concert (or) festival-like, party atmosphere. It’s an athletic event.”

He noted participants are usually so exhausted at the end, they hang around just long enough to have one or two beers and a bite to eat from an on-site food vendor, then they leave.

Haggerty noted some may head into town to enjoy one of the many restaurants.

“They’re all good people,” she said.

From greeting participants and assisting with registration to keeping an eye on the obstacles, there are plenty of volunteer opportunities for people who want to work the Tough Mudder.

“We use a significant amount of volunteers,” Haggerty said. “There’s a great opportunity where you can volunteer one day, then run the next day for a significantly discounted price.”

Tough Mudder is also seeking local businesses who wish to participate as sponsors and/or on-site vendors.

“We’re going to try to get as many local businesses involved as possible,” Haggerty said. Those interested can e-mail her at kylee.haggerty@toughmudder.com.

To learn more about the event, please visit www.toughmudder.com.