Intro:

James Haskey-Jones retained his Maldon Mud Race title at the River Blackwater, Essex, on Monday but hundreds of competitors became stuck in the mud as they vied to raise money for charity.

Script:

A wet bank holiday is usually the stuff of nightmares but for these hundreds of competitors the River Blackwater in Essex was a dream come true.

The annual Mud Race aimed to raise money for charity.

This may look like messy business but the event's chairman Brian Farrington says this year the race is muddier than ever before:

SOUNDBITE: (English) Brian Farrington, Maldon Mud Race charity chairman:

"The mud is approximately 18 inches deep at its deepest. And it's been there a while. The good thing this year is that they have actually dredged the river. So the mud is deeper this year."

The 500-yard race was won by James Haskey-Jones, who successfully defended his title.

For the less experienced, crawling appeared to be the best option although some collapsed through sheer exhaustion.

The competition started after a dare to a pub landlord and today's race was thirsty work indeed.