A couple from Finland won one of the quirkiest races in the world on Sunday, capturing the 17th annual Wife Carrying Race in the United Kingdom.
Teemu Touvinen and Jatta Leinonen won the race in southern England, finishing in 1 minute, 45 seconds, The Associated Press reported. They won a barrel of locally produced ale.
The race requires competitors to carry their wives, husbands, partners, family members or even friends up and down a hill in the English town of Dorking, according to the BBC.
Feet in the air and crash helmets on: the UK Wife Carrying Race takes place in Surrey, England, with teams running up and down a hill in a quirky tradition with Finnish roots. pic.twitter.com/4vxNrwWZwH
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) March 8, 2026
“You do not have to carry your own wife. It could be someone else’s. Or a mate, girlfriend, boyfriend, sister or brother,” race organizers told the AP. “They should ideally weigh less than you do.”
Contestants had to dodge several obstacles, including rows of hay, on the 380-meter course, the BBC reported. They were also splashed with water pistols and doused by buckets of water by spectators, according to the news outlet.
The AP reported that the origins of the race were inspired by a 19th-century legend in Finland about a gang that looted villages and carried away female residents.
The person being carried must weigh at least 110 pounds, race organizers said. Contestants weighing less than that must wear a rucksack filled with flour or water to help them reach the minimum amount of pounds.
Participants can carry their “wife” in several ways, but the preferred method is called the “Estonian hold,” the BBC reported. The person being carried hangs upside-down on the runner’s back, with their legs crossed in front of the runner’s face.
The race in England debuted in 2008. The World Wife Carrying Championships will be held in Finland during July, the AP reported.
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