Mud, muscle and memories with the Audi A4 Saloon

With obstacle endurance racing now more popular than ever before, Audi decided to take on its own muddy challenge with an Audi A4 Saloon, equipped with a plethora of Audi official accessories.

Lacing up their trainers to hit the muddy track for Rough Runner were John and Natalina, embracing the chilly October weather and getting down and dirty, all in the name of fresh air and ‘fun’. With hundreds of similar events taking place across the country throughout the year, the level of difficulty varies from extreme, competitive military-style to cheerful, light-hearted affairs – Rough Runner is certainly closer to the latter! And on this occasion, it took place at Ashley Hall in Cheshire.

Rough Runner founder and CEO Jonathan Geitner explained: 'Our main priority is for people to have fun. We give our participants the chance to try out things you can’t get anywhere else. It's not made for record-breakers and we don't time our run, the most important thing is that people try something new and finish with a smile on their face.'

So what does it entail? It’s a cross-country running course that involves climbing, crawling, rolling, jumping, sliding, splashing… all through mud and water. And John and Natalina took it all in their stride, hurtling down a muddy 50ft chute in style and laughing hysterically along the way. You wouldn’t exactly call it a romantic day in the countryside!

By the time the two reached the finish line, they were covered from top to bottom in thick mud. That’s when the Audi A4 Saloon came into its own, equipped with rubber floor mats, a rubber boot liner and a load lip to protect the car’s bumper.

To end a fantastic day on a high, the pair poured themselves a hot coffee from the Audi mobile espresso maker – perfect for the long drive home.