She ain’t heavy she’s…
To have and to hold took on a new meaning for about two dozen couples who put their relationships to the test on a grassy hill in southern England. Wives and girlfriends clung on for dear life as their partners carried them up and down a hillside for the U.K. The Wife Carrying Race, is one of the country’s quirkiest annual sports events. Dozens of people braved murky weather to take part. Runners had to dodge obstacles, including rows of hay bales, on the 380-metre course on the Nower. They were also splashed with water pistols and buckets by spectators. Participants can carry their “wife” however they like, but many chose the so-called Estonian hold, where the other person hangs upside-down on the runner’s back with their legs crossed in front of the runner’s face.
These days the emphasis is on lighthearted fun. Silly costumes are encouraged, and racers can be males or females carrying anyone over 18 and weighing at least 50 kilograms (110 pounds.) Those under that weight need to wear a backpack filled with flour or water to bring them to the minimum weight. “You do not have to carry your own wife. It could be someone else’s. Or a mate, girlfriend, boyfriend, sister or brother,” organizers said. “They should ideally weigh less than you do.” On Sunday, Teemu Touvinen and Jatta Leinonen from Finland were crowned the winners at 1 minute and 45 seconds. Their prize? A barrel of local ale. The awkward footrace in Dorking, Surrey is said to be inspired by a 19th-century Finnish legend about a gang that pillages villages and steals the women.
Contestants raced up a gently sloping hillside and back down, clearing obstacles like low rows of hay bales and having buckets of water thrown at them for good measure. The course is 380 meters (416 yards) long — “a long way under the circumstances,” organizers noted. While still niche, the Scandinavian sport has a following in the U.K., United States, Australia, Poland and other countries. The fastest British couple, Edward Nash and Kathryn Knight, who came just 4 seconds behind the winners, will represent the U.K. at the World Wife Carrying Championships in Finland in July. He said the first time he and his partner Hattie Cronin, who are both from Woking, practiced in a local park people thought they were “bonkers.” Cronin added Stuart had signed them up for their first race before asking her.
Supporters anonymous
What do you call a support group for recovering hackers?
Anonymous anonymous.
I was diagnosed with antisocial behavior disorder, so I joined a support group.
We never meet.
I’d like to thank my legs for supporting me.
My arms for always being by my side
and my fingers… I could always count on them.
A man calls quantum IT support and complains that his quantum computer isn’t working.
Quantum IT support: “Have you tried turning it off and on at the same time?”
March 17th Birthdays
1954 – Lesley-Anne Down, 1972 – Mia Hamm, 1986 – Olesya Rulin, 1976 – Brittany Daniel
1955 – Gary Sinese, 1952 – Kurt Russell, 1964 – Rob Lowe, 1944 – John Sebastian