Whosaid that running has to be serious? We often say that running is above all about having fun, even and in spite of the effort that undoubtedly goes into it. But it must be said that classic races-from 5k to marathons-are always approached with seriousness and respect.
These races, on the other hand, have a different purpose: sometimes they are simply jokes, and sometimes they set aside the more competitive aspect but for good causes, like raising money for those in need.
So let’s see what human ingenuity has invented to have the most fun while running :)
1. Try to get (the cheese)
It is called Cooper’s Hill Cheese Roll and the name says it all: it is held in Gloucestershire, England and involves chasing a wheel of cheese that is rolled down a hill. Let’s see if you can guess the first prize–exactly! The cheese itself :)
2. I will support you (literally)
The North American Wife Carrying Competition is held in Bethel, Maine. Again, the name is self-explanatory: it is the transportation ride on the shoulders of the North American wife. You know how you carry children on your shoulders? Here, imagine doing it with an adult and especially doing it among marshes, mud and obstacles. Fortunately, the distance is *only* 250 meters, more than enough to exhaust oneself. Interesting prizes: wife’s weight in beer and 5 times her weight in cash (not specified what denomination).
(Almost) naked at the finish line 3.
The Cupid’s Undie Run is a race held in 27 different U.S. cities on Valentine’s Day weekend. Cupid is his protector, so you might have guessed that it has to do with love, but of a particular kind. How peculiar is the clothing required: underwear only. However, the intent is noble: it is in fact a charity race to raise funds for the Childhood Cancer Association.
4. The ethyl marathon
Held in the Bordeaux region, the Marathon du Médoc could only be a race with a main protagonist: wine, indeed. In fact, participants can drink from it at the stops present every mile, eating a few things with it, to avoid tearing up in the throes of alcohol fumes. On distance, on the other hand, there is no compromise: this is a regular marathon.
5. Don’t drop the ice
It is said that David Lee Roth of Van Halen had the best of intentions to run in earnest but unfortunately the ice was always coming out of the cocktail glass he was drinking. In the Bisbee Ironman Ice Competition in Bisbee, Arizona, you have to carry the ice to its destination up 155 steps and then along a flat section and finally down a hill to the finish line. The fact is that it is a block of ice weighing almost 5 kilograms that can be carried around with pliers. If you don’t like ice, there is always another race on the same occasion: the Bisbee 1000 Stair Climb. Without ice but with 1000 stair climbs to do.
6. Donkey ride
The Pack Burro Race is held during a festival called Burro Days, and if you know that “butter” has nothing to do with dairy but means “donkey,” you already have some clue as to what it is all about. We are talking about a 30-mile trail to be done with your donkey, and by saying “with” we don’t mean that you have to challenge it but that you have to take it with you. Only rule: you can’t ride it.
7. Man vs. horse
It is a mythical race that, since it was invented, has always sought to determine who is the strongest between man and horse, not only in terms of speed (easy: the horse wins) but especially in terms of endurance. It is called Man vs. Horse Marathon and humans on foot are given a 15-minute head start. So far the horses have won in the vast majority of cases :(
8. Can you breathe?
The Tenzing-Hillary Everest Marathon is run at altitude on Everest, with the environmental conditions you can imagine, namely oxygen deficiency, variable and unpredictable weather.
9. The marathon made of marathons
It is by far our favorite and the most insane of all: it is the Barkley Marathons. Yes, you read that right: the final “s” indicates that they are more than one marathon, all done in the same competition but always on the same course, first one way and then the other, and then reversing again.
Very few participants personally selected by the legendary and sadistic inventor and organizer Gary “Lazarus Lake” Cantrell who, if admitted, informs applicants with a standard letter that reads“We regret to inform you that you have been admitted to the Barkley Marathons.” The cost of membership, however, is very inviting: only $1.5.