Husbands fight for glory in the wife carrying world championships
Grab your wife and get ready for Finland’s craziest festival.
What is it?
Pretty much what it sounds like – a kooky race in Finland where men carry their wives over a tough 250-metre course. It has its roots in an historic practice of neighbouring villages raiding each other and capturing womenfolk, but it’s evolved into a lighthearted physical contest. The first competition was held in 1992 and is now held annually on the first Saturday in July in the market square of the town of Sonkajärvi in eastern Finland. The course is made up of sand, gravel, grass, obstacles and a section of water one-metre deep.
How do they carry them?
Men can carry their wife however they like, but the most popular positions are the traditional piggyback, the fireman carry, the cross shoulder carry and the ‘Estonian position’. The Estonian involves the wife hanging upside down over her husband’s back with her legs out in front over his shoulders. It was named after the Estonian competitors who introduced it in the late 1990s and used it to win 11 consecutive titles. The only rules state that the wife must be aged over 17, must weigh at least 49 kilos and if she is dropped the team will incur a 15 second time penalty.
What do they win?
The winning couple will receive the wife’s weight in beer along with some wife-carrying related prizes. There are awards for best dressed couple, strongest husband and most entertaining couple. People can also compete in a 100-metre relay race in groups of four. Each man must carry the ‘baton’ (wife) for a 100-metre sprint, then down a special wife-carrying drink and hand off the baton to the next runner.
How can I attend?
If you’re really keen (and fairly fit) you can enter the race yourself. Entry fee is €50 and you’ll need to register at least one hour before the event starts. If you arrive early, you can practice on the course before the big event. Or if you’d prefer to watch, tickets range from around €18-28 for entry to the festival including concerts, food, games and, of course, the main event.
Have you ever been to this event?
Hero image credit: Twitter / ReasonsSuomi