Photos: Mire madness as hundreds run, crawl and fight at Boryeong Mud Festival

Men slide in the mud during the Boryeong Mud Festival at Daecheon Beach in Boryeong, South Korea. Started in 1998, the Boryeong Mud Festival was first put on as a PR stunt after a range of cosmetics was launched using mud from the Boryeong mud flats. The annual festival is famous for attracting the largest numbers of foreign visitors among local festivals. (Ahn Young-joon / AP)

Updated on: Jul 24, 2017 9:03 AM IST

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Men slide in the mud during the Boryeong Mud Festival at Daecheon Beach in Boryeong, South Korea. Started in 1998, the Boryeong Mud Festival was first put on as a PR stunt after a range of cosmetics was launched using mud from the Boryeong mud flats. The annual festival is famous for attracting the largest numbers of foreign visitors among local festivals. (Ahn Young-joon / AP)

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A woman is covered with mud during the 20th Boryeong Mud Festival at Daecheon beach in Boryeong. (JUNG YEON-JE / AFP)

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Tourists play with mud in a mud pool. The event drew roughly four million people last year, including 430,000 foreigners. The festival is estimated to have provided a regional economic impact worth 73 billion won ($65.3 million) last year. (JUNG Yeon-Je / AFP)

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There’s also an open-air disco, Miss Mud beauty pageant, mud yoga and sports activities including a relay race and a marathon. (Ahn Young-joon / AP)

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A man being splashed in the face with a wave of mud marks the start of the Mud Festival in Boryeong, South Korea. (JUNG Yeon-Je / AFP)

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In 2009 a group of 230 school children developed a skin rash after contact with the mud, sparking concern from health officials. Despite the backlash, the festival continues and has been chosen the ultimate destination for those enjoying their summer in South Korea. (JUNG Yeon-Je / AFP)

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Women wrestle in a mud pool during the Boryeong Mud Festival. (Ahn Young-joon / AP)

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The annual festival which runs from July 21 to 30 aims to encourage the use of mud for cosmetic skin-care and to promote tourism in the region. (JUNG Yeon-Je / AFP)