Inside the office of the New York City startup that’s convinced 2 million people to crawl through mud

Jeff J. Mitchell/Getty Images

When Will Dean proposed a teamwork-based challenge where participants have to trudge through mud and obstacles involving barbed wire, judges at the Harvard Business School competition were skeptical of his idea. 

Who on earth would voluntarily put themselves through so much grueling pain, nevermind pay to do it? 

But a year later, the first Tough Mudder event took place at Bear Creek Mountain Resort, Pennsylvania.

Seven years later, Tough Mudder has become a symbol of the ultimate endurance event, with over 2 million participants to date.

Unlike marathons, triathlons, or Ironman competitions, Tough Mudder is not a race. Participants are not timed, and there is no winner or loser. Instead, the emphasis is on teamwork and camaraderie. 

Past challenges have taken place in North America, Australia, the UK, Ireland, and Germany, and the company plans to add China, Indonesia, and the United Arab Emirates to the list. 

Business Insider recently visited Tough Mudder’s New York headquarters for a glimpse of what it’s like to work for a company that strives to push people past their mental and physical limits. 

Tough Mudder’s New York headquarters is located in the newly developed MetroTech Center in Brooklyn. It is home to about 120 employees.

The reception area is filled with Tough Mudder memorabilia, and a TV screens footage of challenge participants all over the world.

Tough Mudder-branded swag is present everywhere in the office. The monkey below sports their signature orange headband, which is given to all Tough Mudder participants when they enter the challenge.

A bulletin board displays the flags of the three countries where Tough Mudder has offices (the US, the UK, and Australia). Employees can take part in the challenge at no cost.

Tough Mudder has branched out from its original course, creating different events for different audiences.

They now host the Tough Mudder Half, a five-mile version of the original obstacle course; World’s Toughest Mudder, a grueling 24-hour obstacle course challenge; Mudderella, a mud run exclusively for women; Urban Mudder, a five-mile city obstacle course; and Fruit Shoot Mini Mudder, a one-mile course designed for children.

This room gets the most light in the office, making it a popular spot for employees to step away from their desks and work for the afternoon. A ping-pong table is also available for those who want to take an active break from their workday.

You can also find an oversized game of Connect Four.

As well as a foosball table.

Overlooking the foosball table are inspirational quotes from figures such as Margaret Thatcher, Winston Churchill, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Steve Jobs. Each of the images has donned the trademark orange headband.

Tough Mudder’s spacious kitchen offers many different kinds of snacks.

Most of the food is pretty healthy, with the exception of chips and the office’s beloved chocolate-covered almonds. Unsurprisingly, protein powder is abundant.

Employees can make their own post-workout shakes in the office blender. The various intramural sports employees play, ranging from running clubs to soccer and volleyball, also reflect the active culture of the company.

In the main office area, employees are hard at work on a Wednesday afternoon.

Slogans such as ‘Work Hard’ and ‘#NOExcuses’ decorate the walls of the open work area.

There is also a library in the office. The name ‘Kanula’ comes from a combination of two employees’ last names. Tough Mudder often names office spaces after its employees once they’ve been at the company for five years.

The library stocks multiple copies of ‘Happier’ by Tal Ben-Shahar, which Dean gave his employees as a holiday gift. He does this every year, with a particular focus on books with strong examples of entrepreneurial success.

This hallway was named after Jesse Bull, SVP Brand and Creative.

Photos from Tough Mudder’s earlier challenges showcase how the obstacles have evolved as the events attract more and more participants each year.

Not all the rooms are named after employees. This conference room is named after a Tough Mudder obstacle, where participants swing across a series of slippery rings over a pool of icy, muddy water.

All around the office, employees are reminded of Tough Mudder’s values and company philosophy, The TMHQ Pact.

Read more stories on Business Insider, Malaysian edition of the world’s fastest-growing business and technology news website.