Getting down and dirty to learn life lessons

A Spartan race for children was held at the Thaiwoo Ski Resort in Chongli district of Zhangjiakou city in Hebei province, in July, while a tough mudder race for children was held at the Horticultural Expo Park in Beijing's Yanqing district one month later.

In both competitions, children of different ages took on the challenge of navigating obstacles and learning to work as a team.

"The race has created quite a scene. It's put our children through a variety of difficulties," said the father of one tough mudder participant, surnamed Li.

"Some of the obstacles required them to work with others. This teaches our children the value of teamwork better than many other lessons. I'm thinking of taking part in a tough mudder event for adults."

Jia Songtao, father of tough mudder contestant Jia Huiwen, said that his daughter really enjoyed the race.

"She is used to showing off her awards from other competitions, but this time, all she talked about were the new friends she'd made and the ways she overcame the obstacles," he said.