Next race obstacle: Frozen Tundra

Runners seeking new challenges have dashed through mud, fire and electric shocks.

Frozen turf is next in the inaugural Tundra Challenge, a 3.5-mile race scheduled for Jan. 14, 2012, at the Mt. Olympia Resort in Oconomowoc. The latest entry in the Mud Run / Warrior Dash genre boasts 15 obstacles reportedly designed by military experts.

The short list includes a 205-foot hill climb, a 50-foot suicide slide, the Polar Pass and the Frozen Fairbanks. Foot speed will be only one measure of success. Awards will be given to the competitors who hit the highest speeds in the sledding slide.

Organizers boast: "Extreme challenges are nothing new to the athletic world, but combining winter weather conditions will certainly invigorate your ordinary workout routine."

Mt. Olympia Resort will be one of six locations for the new race series.

Not to discount the struggle involved in a foot race on a ski hill in January, there are a couple far more extreme adventures to be tackled in early 2012.

The Fat Otter Adventure Team will host the Frozen Otter Ultra Trek in the Northern Kettle Moraine State Forest on Jan. 21. The a 64-mile run, or slog, on the Ice Age Trail became famous in 2008 when the winner, Andrew Wells, lost 4 1/2 toes to frostbite.

That race even falls short of the Arrowhead 135. In its 8^th year, the 135-mile race across Northern Minnesota on the rugged, scenic Arrowhead State Snowmobile, gives competitors the option of going by bike, ski or foot. The start is Jan. 30, in International Falls, Minn.