This past Saturday, several Busch Gardens employees and friends ventured to Lake Wales, Fla. to take on the challenge of Warrior Dash.

Warrior Dash is a 5K endurance course featuring muddy water, cargo nets, balance beams, fire pits and other extreme obstacles.

After the race, runners have an option to contribute their old and unwanted shoes to the event for recycling -- a great green element of the event! Check out this pile of recyclables:

"The Warrior Dash was an awesome experience!, said BG employee David Ferrara. "This race was definitely different from your average 5K. I had a great time with my friends and created some amazing memories that will last a lifetime."

We're proud of our BG employees for braving this daunting race!

In the spirit of the Tampa pirate festival Gasparilla, which also took place this past weekend. Busch Gardens’ IT employee, Matt Mohler and Security Guard, Ron Moore dressed up as pirates to compete.

