Maldon Mud Race - in pictures

The Maldon Mud Race gets under way on Sunday 5 May in Promenade Park, Maldon, Essex. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Mud Race competitors crawl up the bank of the Blackwater River at low tide. Photograph: Luke Macgregor/Reuters

Participants can win a prize for their fancy dress as well as their speed in finishing. Photograph: Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images

Joel Hicks, who was raising money for the Always With a Smile charity, shows his enthusiasm for plunging through mud in aid of a good cause. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Some Maldon Mud Race competitors take their commitment to fancy dress more seriously than others. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

A helping hand for the Mud Race final furlong. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA

Getting muddy in style – race participants reach the finish line. Photograph: LEON NEAL/AFP/Getty Images

Thoroughly muddy racers scramble up the river bank to the finish line. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA

Taking a breath at the finish line of the annual Maldon Mud Race. Photograph: Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images

A competitor showers off the mud on his head after the race. Photograph: Gareth Fuller/PA

Time to get rid of the river mud at the end of the race. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images