The term fast growth may conjure images of tech companies with sleek offices and catered lunches. But there are plenty of growing, thriving businesses out there in the real world, getting their hands dirty. Here are six from the Inc. 500. Click for more

Let's Get Physical

Playing With Fire

Red Frog Events, No. 9

 

"Most people smile when they jump over flames, because, well, it's just fun," says Joe Reynolds, founder of Red Frog Events, a Chicago company that puts on extreme races and other events. The flame jump is one of a dozen extreme obstacles at Red Frog's signature event, the Warrior Dash, pictured here at the Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. The 5K run, which takes place in dozens of cities in North America and Australia each year, also requires participants to crawl through mud and under barbed wire. Founded in 2007, Red Frog posted $31.7 million in sales last year and is on track to host 85 events this year, including urban scavenger hunts and pub crawls.



Nicole Carter covers start-ups, small business and entrepreneurship for Inc. Nicole was previously a reporter and web editor at the New York Daily News, and her work has also appeared in Consumer Reports magazine. @ncarterinc