GREENVILLE — Pouring rain, standing water and slippery trails provided just about perfect conditions for more than 500 participants taking part in the Light Foundation’s 15th annual Gauntlet Mud Run.
More than 30 teams registered for this year’s event, including a Cooper Farms team with more than 75 runners. The field included 82 youth participants and more than 425 adults.
More than 100 volunteers helped Light Foundation staff members welcome runners and keep the event operating throughout the rain-soaked day.
Volunteers included members of the Dylan Williams Foundation, Mississinawa Valley High School Athletic Boosters, Fort Recovery Cross Country, Community of Faith Church, Canine Capers 4-H Club and numerous other community supporters.
“We couldn’t ask for a better day for a mud run,” said Troy Eden, Light Foundation chief operations officer. “We’ve got 82 kids signed up. We have over 425 adult runners, so it puts us over 500 runners for the day.”
The steady rain added another challenge to a course already designed to test participants as they made their way through mud, water and obstacles.
This year’s Gauntlet also recognized America’s 250th anniversary with the debut of the All-American Mud Runner Award, honoring participants who displayed their patriotic spirit in red, white and blue.
Eden said the Light Foundation and its programs continue to grow.
“I’ve been here four years now, and it keeps getting bigger every year, along with all the other programming that we do,” Eden said. “We just seem to be expanding every year, so it’s a blessing.”
Much of that growth, Eden said, comes from the continued involvement of Light Foundation co-founder Matt Light, a Greenville High School graduate, former New England Patriot and three-time Super Bowl champion.
“Matt is here 60, 70 days a year in our camps, puts the work in,” Eden said. “He really does put his money where his mouth is.”
Eden also credited the foundation’s staff for keeping its many programs and events running smoothly.
“Brandy Turner is our program director,” Eden said. “Brian Rehmert, Mike Chrisman, Nick Mayo, Rodney Denniston, Glenn Rehmert and Hayden Lewter just do an amazing job for such a limited team. We do some cool things.”
The organization has more planned for its Greenville-area campus, including a leadership conference for Darke County students Oct. 15.
“We have a new leadership conference,” Eden said. “Darke County students will be out here Oct. 15 for a leadership conference. We want to be good stewards of the community and give back.”
One familiar face at Light Foundation events is Matt Light’s mother, Marilyn Light, who was on hand for the 2026 Gauntlet.
She recalled how her son began thinking about giving back shortly after making it to the NFL.
“I’m very, very proud of Matt because when you first get into the NFL, and you’re thinking, ‘I’ve never made that much money in my life,’ it’s easy to just think, ‘Boy, what can I do?’” Marilyn Light said. “And within one year, his mindset said, ‘No, what can I do to share it?’”
She said her son quickly developed the idea of creating a camp and programs that could make a difference in young people’s lives.
“He came up with this idea right away,” she said. “He wanted to get a camp, and of course, it’s a slow go. You have to acquire the land. You have to go very slowly, and then you have to say, ‘What am I going to do with it? How am I going to do it?’ But he really had a target for the youth, and especially the youth that are not given a lot of opportunities and could really use some guidance, so all of this just blossomed from that.”
As the foundation grew, Marilyn Light said its focus expanded beyond youth programs to include the greater community.
“And of course, every year it’s like something else, something new,” she said. “And then it’s like, OK, there’s the youth, but what about the community?”
The Gauntlet has become one of the answers to that question, bringing together participants, volunteers, businesses and families.
“So here we are with the Gauntlet today,” Marilyn Light said. “I’m so impressed by the people that are saying, ‘This may be really tough out here, but by golly, I’m gonna do it.’ So it’s a great thing.”
Light played football at Greenville Senior High School before continuing his career at Purdue University and eventually reaching the NFL. Despite his success away from Greenville, his mother said he has maintained strong ties to his hometown.
“He returns all the time every year,” Marilyn Light said. “So many things going on, so we’re tickled to have him. And I know the community’s proud of him.”
For Marilyn Light, seeing what her son and the foundation have built carries special meaning.
“This place is his heart,” she said. “He loves it, and he’s got big plans coming up. There’s things coming up, and I’m like, ‘Oh boy, when does it stop?’ So, I guess it doesn’t.”
Matt Light said the foundation remains committed to finding new ways to help young people.
“We’re always looking for ways to continue our positive impact on young people, and I’m so grateful for anyone helping us achieve our goal,” Light said. “It is a great opportunity to invest in the future of our communities.”
For Light, the Gauntlet is about more than mud, obstacles and reaching the finish line.
“The Gauntlet Mud Run is about much more than crossing the finish line,” Light said. “It’s an opportunity for families, friends, businesses and our community to come together, have fun and invest in the next generation through our youth leadership programs.”
