Five of the weirdest, most wonderful races in the world
From slogging your way round a looped course for six days to taking on the world's shortest race, Running Tales takes a look at five of the most whacky races around
If tackling your regular parkrun or battling through a marathon doesn’t excite you, than it might be time to broaden your running horizons.
Whether it’s adding wife-carrying to your run or taking on a horse, there is no shortage of running alternatives out there.
This week Running Tales takes a look at just five of the whackiest events out there.
Whether it’s slogging your way round a looped 1km course for six days to drinking your way through a marathon or taking on the world's shortest race, these are five of the strangest and most spectacular races around…
Le Marathon du Medoc:
How often do you hear someone telling you they’d rather be relaxing with a nice glass of wine rather than running.
Well, this event allows you to do both.
Taking place in Bordeaux, France, Le Marathon du Medoc not only serves up red wine to competitors, but treats them with gourmet eatables from steak or oysters to ice cream.
In all, the event has 23 wine stops and there are more than 50 orchestras scattered around the picturesque course - oh, and fancy dress is compulsory.
The 6 Days of France:
“I'm so Dizzy, my head is spinning. Like a whirlpool, it never ends.”
The Wonder Stuff may have been about singing about their infatuation for a ‘girl playing hard to get’ in their classic hit Dizzy, but the lyrics called also apply to competing in The 6 Days of France endurance event.
Taking place over 144-hours at the Ardéchois campsite in the French town of Vallon Pont d'Arc, it sees competitors looping continually round a flat, paved 1131.28m course.
The winner is the runner who covers the furthest distance. This year American Bob Hearn took the title by covering 758kms (471 miles) - all to end up back where he started!
The Wife Carrying World Championship:
Grab your wife - or, according to the competition rules, ‘your neighbours’ or someone from further afield, throw her over your shoulder and run as fast as you can.
That’s the basic premise of the Wife Carrying World Championship, one of the most unusual feats of endurance and trust out there.
The event takes place over a 253.5-metre obstacle course in Sonkajärvi, Finland with the world champion winning the equivalent of their wife’s weight in beer.
The Scandinavian tradition originated in the 18th century, but has now spread worldwide, with events taking place in Burnaby, Canada as well as Australia, America, the UK and Germany among others.
The UK version takes place annually in Dorking, Surrey and former Running Tales Podcast guest Chris Lamb, along with his wife Bex, have agonisingly finished second on four separate occasions.
You can read Chris’ report on the 2019 race here: https://quirkyraces.com/2019/03/03/uk-wife-carrying-race-2019/
The Man versus Horse Marathon:
What’s faster, a man or a horse? Generally, if the results of this race are anything to go by, the answer is a horse.
Ever since the Man versus Horse Marathon started back in 1980, the human competitor has only won four times.
The annual race takes place in Llanwrtyd Wells in Wales every June over 22 miles (35 km) rather than the full marathon distance and sees runners compete against riders on horseback over a mix of road, trail and mountainous terrain.
It was born after the landlord of the Neuadd Arms Hotel, Gordon Green, overheard a typical bar room debate in which one man suggested that over a significant distance across country, a man was equal to any horse.
This year’s winner, Daniel Connolly, came first with a time of two hours, 24 minutes and 38 seconds - becoming only the fourth human to beat the horses.
The St Paddy’s Day .01k:
Not all heroes wear capes - and not all races take place over long distances. Or in the case of the St Paddy’s Day .01k, any real distance at all.
Promoted as the world’s shortest race, this 32.8 feet (10 metre) event takes place in La Crosse, Wisconsin.
Proceeds go towards the area’s Hunger Task Force, which puts on a food bank for those in need.
Thanks for taking a look at our selection of unusual races - what is the strangest event you’ve taken part in? Let us know in the comments section below.