WHEELING — When the Tough As Nails Urban Challenge presented by The Health Plan was introduced in 2019 as part of the Ogden Newspapers Wellness Weekend, it quickly became a popular event.

Plenty of cities host obstacle runs, yet few of them are held in the city itself — and incorporate structures within the city as obstacles.

Along with the entire Ogden Newspapers Wellness Weekend, the Tough As Nails went dormant for the last couple of years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Yet, coming this May 29, the challenge returns, and event organizers have not only brought back some participant favorites, but have concocted some new obstacles to take the Tough As Nails to new heights — sometimes literally.

The course will take the urban warriors a shade longer than six miles around Wheeling, sending them over, around and through various obstacles.

As popular as the 2019 obstacles were, Tough As Nails coordinator Jim Gibbons said event organizers listened to the participants and made a few adjustments.

Among them, Gibbons said, was a greater focus on upper-body challenges to get the arm and chest muscles working. Organizers also added additional elevation on the course for participants to scale.

“You always want to take it to the next level, but also make it fun,” Gibbons said. “The key is to have all these difficult obstacles, but give the participants a rest and then hit them with another one.”

Among the new obstacles are Get To The Point presented by Lowe’s, which sends participants up Rock Point Road. And when they get to the top, they’ll be met with another new challenge, the Contractors Carry presented by Contractors Supply, which is a trek through the woods carrying a 40-pound sand bag.

Many of the old favorites will be back as well, including the Stairway To Heaven presented by Braunlich Orthopedics, where participants climb the steep stairs in East Wheeling, and the Corporate Ladder rope climb presented by Thrive. In all, there will be 20 obstacles throughout the city to put contestants to the test.

So many aspects of the event make the Tough As Nails unique, race director Eric Anderson said. Primarily, it sends participants through an urban environment, as opposed to keeping runners sequestered in wooded areas.

And not only are many of the obstacles part of the city, but so many companies around the Ohio Valley have joined in as sponsors to add even more of a local flavor to the event.

“It’s very satisfying and all the folks are excited to participate and be a part of it,” Anderson said.

“One of our main goals was to integrate what Wheeling has to offer,” Gibbons said. “It’s really a lot of fun and, obviously, it takes a large team to put this together. But to just see the finished product and hundreds of people running the course is great.”

Sponsors for the obstacles include Wheeling Country Club, Grow OV, The Health Plan, Miklas Meat Market, Thrive, Highlands Sports Complex, Bridgeport Equipment, Ogden Newpapers, Tunnel Ridge Mine, Lowe’s, Contractors Supply, WTRF, Braunlich Orthopedics, Fulton Tire, CityNet, Marshall County Co-Op, Liberty Distributors, Panhandle Cleaning and Restoration, Fort Henry Capital and the Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack.

Entrants must be at least 18 years old to participate. Registration closes at 8 a.m. Thursday, May 19, or when all spots are filled and early registration is suggested. There will be no on-site registration.

Each 175-person heat will go out in 15-minute intervals from noon to 2 p.m. Heats that go out every 15 minutes beginning at 12 p.m. and ending at 2 p.m. No prizes are awarded, but participants can enjoy the camaraderie with the runners in their heat and the satisfaction of finishing the grueling course.

To register, visit ogdenwellnessweekend.com.