Register for The Ruff Ruck Challenge

Pick Your Format

How Do You Want to Participate?

Individual · 35 lb min · 12 mi · 3 hrs

The Ruff Ruck Challenge

The competitive 12-mile challenge. 35 lb minimum ruck or weight vest — no upper limit. Finish in 3 hours or less. Individual entry.

Entry Fee: $25 online / $35 day-of

Team of 4 · 100 lbs total · 12 mi

Frontline Challenge

Four-person team ruck — 100 lbs split across the team, so nobody carries it all. Must include at least one active or retired first responder or military member. Name a team captain to coordinate.

Entry Fee: $25 online / $35 day-of (per person)

Any Distance · Your Pace

Freedom Walk

Go your own distance at your own pace — ruck if you want to, or not. No minimums, no time limit — just show up and do your personal best. Every ability welcome.

Entry Fee: $25 online / $35 day-of

Join the Walk

Not Ready to Ruck?

Donate Instead

Your donation funds service dog placements year-round.

Donate

Your Fundraising Window

What Happens After You Register

Registration is the easy part. The real work — and the real opportunity — starts the moment you sign up. The window between now and event day is typically three to six months. That runway is where the mission gets made real. Every dollar raised in that time puts a trained service dog closer to a veteran or first responder who needs one.

The Math

Every $10,000 raised places one fully trained service dog with a veteran or first responder at no cost to them. Your individual fundraising page channels every dollar your network gives directly into that number.

What You Get

Your own individual fundraising page on ruffruck.org — created automatically when your registration is confirmed
A confirmation email with your page link, a quick-start guide, and what to expect before October
Milestone reminders at 60, 30, and 7 days out to help you hit your goal
The Fundraising Playbook — social media scripts, ask templates, and the 5-day hustle plan (delivered in your welcome email)

Use Your Runway

Post about it. Go live. Send a text to five people today. Ask your employer about a matching program. Pin your fundraising page link to your bio. The participants who raise the most don't wait — they start talking about it the day they register. Muskegon, October 2026 gives you months of runway. Use every day of it.

Frontline teams also receive a shared team fundraising page so your whole crew can pool momentum and track progress together.

Ready to open your fundraising window?

Registration Portal

Complete Your Registration

Takes about 5 minutes. Registration finishes on Stripe secure checkout.

Choose Your Format Step 1 of 6

Pick the way you want to participate. You can change your mind by clicking another option.

The Ruff Ruck Challenge

Individual · 35 lb min · 12 mi · $25

The competitive 12-mile challenge. 35 lb minimum ruck or weight vest — no max. Finish in 3 hrs or less.

Frontline Challenge

Team of 4 · 100 lb total · 12 mi · $25/person

Team ruck. Must include at least one active or retired first responder or military member.

Freedom Walk

Any distance · $25

Your distance, your pace. Ruck optional. No time limit — just your personal best. Every ability welcome.

First Name *

Last Name *

Email *

Phone *

Street Address *

City *

State *

ZIP *

Date of Birth *

Emergency Contact Name *

Emergency Contact Phone *

Ruff Ruck Details

Planned ruck weight (lbs)

Prior ruck experience?

Frontline Team

Team Name *

Are you the team captain?

At least one teammate is active/retired military or first responder? *

Each team member registers and pays separately. Captain coordinates teammate registrations using the same team name.

Other teammates (names & emails, one per line)

No additional details needed for Freedom Walk. Click Next to continue.

Optional — helps us track our impact on the community we serve.

Are you a veteran or first responder?

Please read and check each before continuing.

I am at least 18 years old, OR I will provide written parental/guardian consent before participating.

I confirm I am physically able to participate in the format I selected, or am consulting with a medical professional first.

I understand that ruck marching, running, and event participation involve inherent physical risk, including but not limited to muscle strain, fatigue, dehydration, slips, falls, and injury.

I release The Ruff Ruck Challenge, its volunteers, Pack Ambassadors, and venue partners from liability for injury or loss arising from my participation, except in cases of gross negligence.

I consent to having my photo, video, voice, and likeness recorded at the event and used by The Ruff Ruck Challenge and its production partners — including in documentary films, marketing, fundraising, social media, and broadcast — in perpetuity and without compensation. Full model-release terms are in the event-day waiver I sign at check-in. (Optional here — uncheck to opt out. If you sign the on-site waiver you are bound by its full release.)

I understand that entry fees are non-refundable, and that registration may be transferred to another person up to 7 days before the event.

Electronic Signature

Type your full legal name *

Date *

Please review your registration. After submitting, you'll be sent to secure checkout.

🎗

Registration Received!

Sending you to checkout…

Questions? Email info@ruffruck.org.

Take the Challenge

Next Ruck

How Do You Want to Participate?

The Ruff Ruck Challenge

Frontline Challenge

Freedom Walk

Donate Instead

What Happens After You Register

Complete Your Registration

Registration Received!