It's not often, when a first-year race expects 2,000 participants.

But that and more is what Todd Cambio, the owner of Precision Fitness in Pawcatuck, expects for the first BoldrDash 5K obstacle course race on May 18 and 19 at Misquamicut State Beach.

Before you say that no one gets that many people for a first-year race, consider that two BoldrDash runs he was involved in at Yagoo Valley Ski Area in Exeter, R.I. in 2011 and 2012 , attracted 600 and 1,300 people respectively.

And with mud and obstacle runs skyrocketing in popularity, and this race raising funds for the Bring Back the Beach effort, Cambio may be right.

He said he thought what better way to build support for the beach comeback efforts than to get people down to the beach to see what is happening there in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy while raising money at the same time.

Cambio said the layout of the course will depend on how much of the beach and state beach parking lot have been returned to their pre-storm condition.

He said he would like to put the climbing and rope walls, cargo nets, mud pits and other obstacles in the lot. He said this race will not have any obstacles with barbed wire or fire as some of the hardcore races do.

"We're making this family friendly. We want it to be fun," he said.

Cambio said mud and obstacle runs are a big trend now.

"It's different. You're not running or biking in a straight line. Your moving in different planes of motion. You're climbing and crawling in and out of mud and over and under things. You're helping your teammates or people you don't even know get over obstacles. It's fun and people are out there trying to finish," he said.

He said being able to run well has less to do with success in these races then having good upper body strength and agility.

Cambio will be holding a training workshop for the race on March 9 from 10 a.m to noon at his new location at 39 High St. in Westerly.

More information about the race is at www.boldrdashrace.com. Entry fee is $70.

Newtown run: With the Hartford Marathon Foundation's decision to change the venue for the March 23 Sandy Hook Run from Danbury to Hartford, the plan to have virtual runners race the 5K Battle of Stonington course at the same time has been cancelled.

"I had planned on hosting an event on the same day here in Stonington, but with the change in venue to Hartford, I will be directing people to attend that event instead," said Battle of Stonington race director Stephen Bessette in an e-mail.

Joe Wojtas is The Day's running columnist