CONWAY — People in the Grand Strand have been paying money lately to get completely muddy.

And they’re OK with that.

Horry County’s most recent mud run, a phenomenon that continues to grow, was held Saturday morning at Thompson Farms near Conway. Almost 300 thrill seekers gathered under cloudy skies to conquer balance beams, generate a good pace as they passed rows of corn and, of course, dive into the muck.

Scott Thompson, a fourth-generation farm owner, decide to host the inaugural Hog Wild Mud Run on his property after studying up on agritourism and deciding it would help diversify the operation.

Still, why did so many people come out to get dirty on his farm? Thompson really doesn’t know what the attraction is for mud running.

“I really don’t know what to attribute it to. I think they’re crazy,” he joked.

For cousins Allison Tanner and Joy Hilton, it was the chance to relive childhood.

The Conway relatives remembered playing in the mud together as children.

“I’ve always liked to get muddy,” said Tanner, who ran her first mud run.

Hilton, another fresh face to the mud run, seemed interested to learn what all the hype’s been about.

Remembering childhood, it wasn’t hard to figure out.

“Who doesn’t want to get muddy?” Hilton said.

Contact BRAD DICKERSON at 626-0301.