For a while Saturday morning, adults smiled like they were children again.
Their bodies hummed in anticipation of the annual Prison Break fun run. They looked forward to splashing through mud, hurdling barriers, climbing walls and hopping on a water slide to finish off the "obstacle" part of the course. After plummeting down a water slide at Riverside Park, they still had to climb the hills to the finish line at Prison Brews.
Smiles -- while still there -- were fading.
Children, on the other hand, grinned as they set out on their journeys. Admittedly, the children's portion wasn't quite as long as the adults, but it included all the mud pits, scaling walls and tunnels.
Smiling from ear to ear, 11-year-old Embry Collins of Columbia said he participated in 2021 and wanted to do it again this year.
"Oh, I really like the mud," Collins said. And he added the running was OK, but his legs were "a little sore."
He said the slide was another highlight. It was fast and he turned sideways as he approached the bottom.
Grant Chojnacki, 13, who plays soccer and runs cross country, was the second of the children through the course. About 300 adults had already passed through, churning up the mud to make it a perfect consistency to cake clothing. That wasn't a problem for Grant, who said he enjoys the run about as much as the rest of the event.
"It was fun," he said. "I got turned around on the slide. I like the running, but I also like getting dirty."
Dirt. Water. Mud. If participants did anything Saturday morning, they got dirty.
This marks the 10th year for the Prison Break, according to Craig Hall, sports sales manager for the Jefferson City Convention and Visitors Bureau. It is a fundraising project for the Jefferson City Athletic Events Committee -- a group of volunteers who help bring sports into the community.
Jefferson City Parks, Recreation and Forestry hosts Catch Me if You Can -- the children's portion of the race. Parks and Recreation Director Todd Spalding was the man standing at the top of the waterslide, holding the hose, sometimes hosing off participants before they took their chances with gravity.
About 200 people had preregistered for the prison run, Hall said, which is about typical. But more than 100 arrived for same-day registration.
"We get a lot of repeat business for this," Hall said. "We get a lot that come in from out of state. We actually got a phone call from a group from Kansas yesterday. It's a tradition for a lot of people."
Organizers added extra water and mud this year, Hall said, to "up the fun."
"Inmates" escaped the prison in three waves and ran to the park, Hall said. Each year, organizers treat runners to a skit, laying out the reason for their escapes.
Kimberly Bellof, Brian Bellof and Steve Gray offered a skit at the starting gate, giving participants a "reason to break out of prison."
This year, dinosaurs invaded the prison, Kimberly Bellof said. Last year, Gray said, another "variant" forced inmates to run to Prison Brews for their medicine.
"The only thing that could heal us last year was homemade burritos and beer," he said.
Connor Erny stood alongside the mud pits late Saturday morning, waiting for his children to arrive. Last year, he ran with the children. This year, his wife got to have the fun.
Cindy Anderson and Angela Vann came from Miller County for the event.
"We just take this leisurely," Vann said. "I like a challenge. It's awesome. I started a health journey last year."
That included losing weight, getting healthier, eating healthier and becoming a health coach.
"This is challenging me to be stronger and more fit," Vann said.
Anderson said she enjoys the obstacles. Her first obstacle race was a "Tough Mudder," where participants did some 12 miles.
"Coming here and doing this one is fun," Anderson said. "I just enjoy it. And I'm glad (Vann) gets to do it with me."
Taysir Yalaoui slid down the slip n' slide on Saturday, August 27, 2022, at Ellis-Porter Riverside Park in Jefferson City. Yalaoui challenged his friends to go down the slide before sliding face-first himself. (Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo)
Caeli Lawrence, 15, tie-dyes a shirt on Saturday, August 27, 2022, at Ellis-Porter Riverside park in Jefferson City. After the obstacle course, there were sno-cones, snacks, and activities for children to participate in. (Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo)
Aaron Grefrath places a medal on Amary Werdehausen, 9, on Thursday, August 27, 2022, at Ellis-Porter Riverside park in Jefferson City. Grefrath was with Jefferson City Parks and said he always enjoys work like the Catch Me If You Can event. (Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo)
Max Todd, 6, climbs ropes on Saturday, August 27, 2022, at Ellis-Porter Riverside park in Jefferson City. As Todd reached the top of the ropes, his dad cheered him on from the ground. (Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo)
Ian Larenson, 10, climbs over a plank of wood on Saturday, August 27, 2022, at Ellis-Porter Riverside park in Jefferson City. Larenson completed the Catch Me If You Can kids obstacle course with his sibling and cousins. (Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo)
Haily Owens crawls through a mud pit on Saturday, August 27, 2022, at the Catch Me If You Can event in Jefferson City. Owens said that her favorite part of the event was the slip n' slide at the end of the course. (Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo)
Grant Chojnacki climbs out of a mud pit on Saturday, August 27, 2022, at the Catch Me If You Can event in Jefferson City. Chojnacki was one of the first kids through the multi-layered obstacle course. (Eileen Wisniowicz/News Tribune photo)