Muddy River: Iowa

Muddy River Tug Club from LeClaire, Iowa is a relatively new Tug-of-War club. Started in 2014, our growing membership ranges in age from 12 years old to 70 years young. Very shortly after forming our club, we were lucky enough to be able to participate in the open portion of competition at the World Championships in Madison, Wisconsin. Since then, our team has been learning all they can from the veteran teams in USATOWA as we work toward our goal of visiting Basque Country for the World Outdoor Championships in 2020 and hopefully the World Games in 2021.

When our team is not busy training for 8-man (and women) competitions in USATOWA, they are readying ourselves for our local Tug-of-War competition across the Mississippi River with the town of Port Byron, Illinois. Tug Fest is the name and Tug-of-War is the game for Muddy River’s hometown event. This feat of brute strength boasts a 2,700 foot long, 680 pound rope stretched across the largest river in the USA and is truly a sight to behold

https://www.facebook.com/groups/238826152994669/?ref=br_tf

Iowa Tug Fest site

Illinois Tug Fest site

Tugfest-Tug of War across the Mississippi River.
The Tug is a lot of Excitement and challenge for LeClaire against Port Byron. It began in 1987, with ten 20-member tug teams pulling with all of their strength on a 2,700 foot, 680 pound rope that spans the Mississippi River between LeClaire, Iowa and Port Byron, Illinois. Each year the teams pull to see who will claim the breath-taking alabaster statue of a Bald Eagle in flight. Over 35,000 people view this spectacular and only tug-of-war across the longest river in the United States.