The second annual Mad Dash to benefit the Newtown Youth Academy drew hundreds of participants to Fairfield Hills Saturday. An overnight storm gave way to brilliant blue skies and bobbing clouds and temperatures just cool enough to make the mud bog really challenging according to Race Director Cody Foss.

"Otherwise, it's perfect weather for this kind of race," he told The Bee.

The endurance-type event also benefited Newtown Parks & Recreation, and wassponsored by Danbury Orthopedics.

Participants were pressed to run, jump, crawl, carry, and climb their way through Fairfield Hills campus, utilizing both its natural topography as well as man-made structures and obsticles.

An Advanced course tested even the most-seasoned athlete, while a Beginner/Family course offered significantly less running with modified challenges  designed for families and intermediate fitness enthusiasts.

The advanced course was 4.3 miles and the beginner course was 1.7 miles.

Full results for the race are now available, and look for Sports Editor Andy Hutchison's first-person reporting about his second try at mastering the Mad Dash on Monday, right here and in this week's edition of The Newtown Bee.