Couples take part in the UK’s wife-carrying race as husbands haul their partners around 1,200ft course on International Women’s Day
Approximately 70 people took part in the Wife Carrying Race, held every year in Dorking in the UK.
Now in its 17th year, the top British pair in Sunday’s race have qualified to represent the country at the Wife Carrying World Championships in Finland in July.
However, the win in Surrey was taken by the Finnish pair of Teemu and Jatta, who beat the two previous champions, the British pair.
In the race, which allegedly dates back centuries, people place their partners on their backs, fronts or shoulders before completing a splash zone filled with hills, hay bales and water buckets and water guns.
Partners do not necessarily have to be married to participate; They are also allowed to carry friends or siblings, but these people must be over 18 years old.
They must also weigh at least 50 kg (110 lbs), and if they are lighter, they must wear a rucksack ‘filled with flour, water or similar bins to bring them to the required weight’.
Obstacles and ‘water hazards’ were part of the course; Spectators were encouraged to bring their own water guns and buckets to participate in the ‘Splash Zone’.
According to organisers, participants can use any of ‘many recognized holds’, including the ‘well-known and very fast Estonian Hold’, where the ‘wife’ hangs upside down on the carrier’s back and crosses her legs in front of their face.
Finnish winners Teemu and Jatta win a keg of local beer worth £150
The Finnish duo competed in the ‘Splash Zone’, where spectators were encouraged to bring water guns and buckets of water to drench the contestants.
Many competitors used the ‘Estonian hold’ where the ‘belly’ clings to the carrier’s back
Racers had to struggle with hay bales on the track
Fancy dress was encouraged by race organizers, and prizes were awarded for particularly eye-catching costumes.
Medals were given to those who finished the 2026 race, which was the 17th of the competition.
Competitors were allowed to use any of the many grips recognized for the race
Competitors were also expected to run in fancy outfits, with organizers saying ‘the more glamorous you are, the more likely you are to win a prize!’
All proceeds from the race were donated to charities.
UK race director Ian Giles said it was ‘absolutely chaotic’ and added there were a few familiar faces every year.
Mr Giles said 35 couples would compete for the 2026 race, with 15 couples on the waiting list.
Previous winners Stuart Johnson and partner Hattie Cronin were two-time unbeaten British champions before Sunday’s event.
Mr Johnson told BBC News He said he was ‘aware of the dangers’ before the race and ‘didn’t want to drop my girlfriend on her head’.
They entered for the first time in 2024 after their friends who had competed before recommended them.
Mr Johnson added: ‘The first time we practiced it a few times and ran around our local park and people thought we were crazy.’
Some couples opt for fancy dresses, including this green frog
Everyone transported was required to wear a helmet for safety reasons
Participating couples did not necessarily need a ‘partner’ and could bring a friend, sibling or partner with them
But the couple failed on Sunday and the winner was the Finnish couple, who won a keg of local beer worth £150.
But it was the top-place British pair who earned £250 towards their world championship travel costs to represent the country.
In previous years, the losers of the race were ceremonially given Pot Noodles and dog food, while the person carrying the heaviest ‘wife’ was given half a kilo of sausage for strength.
The oldest porter received a can of sardines and a jar of Bovril, while race finishers received some Green Sands Beer from Surrey Hills Brewery.
Race organizers believe mate carrying began twelve centuries ago, in AD 793, when Viking raiders plundered the island of Lindisfarne off the north-east coast of England.
According to the race’s official website, there they destroyed a convent before killing ‘reluctant local girls’ and starting the tradition.
Wife carrying continued intermittently for nearly 300 years before the UK Wife Carrying Race began in 2008.
