Wife carrying ( or , or ) is a contest in which competitors race while each carrying a partner. While most teams consist of a man carrying a woman, there are generally no rules about gender or marital status. The objective is for the runner to carry their team‑mate through a route in the fastest time. The sport was first introduced in 1992 in , Finland.

Several types of carrying may be practised: a classic piggyback, a fireman's carry (over the shoulder), or the Estonian‑style (the 'wife' upside‑down on the carrier's back, with her legs over their neck and shoulders).

History originated in Finland. Tales have been passed down of a man named (also known as the RobberWife‑carrying is a thing in Finland, SCMP, 8 July 2018). This man was thought to be a robber in the late 1800s who lived in a forest. He supposedly ran around with his gang of thieves causing harm to villagers. From what has been found, there are three ideas as to why and how this sport was invented. Firstly, that and his thieves were accused of stealing food and abducting women from villages in the area where he lived, then carrying these women on their backs as they ran away (hence the 'wife' or woman carrying). The second suggestion is that young men would go to neighbouring villages and abduct women to forcibly marry, often women who were already married. These wives were also carried on the backs of the young men; this was referred to as 'the practice of wife stealing'. Lastly, there is the idea that trained his thieves to be "faster and stronger" by carrying big, heavy sacks on their backs, from which this sport evolved. Though the sport is often considered a joke, competitors take it very seriously, just like any other sport.

Wife‑carrying contests have taken place in Australia, the United States, Hong Kong, India, Germany, the UK, and other parts of the world besides Finland and nearby Sweden, Estonia, and Latvia, and the sport has a category in the Guinness Book of Records.

World champions

1996 – Jouni Jussila and Tiina Jussila, 66.2 seconds. 1997 – Jouni Jussila and Tiina Jussila, 65.0 seconds. 1998 – Imre Ambos and Annela Ojaste , 69.2 seconds. 1999 – Imre Ambos and Annela Ojaste , 64.5 seconds. 2000 – Margo Uusorg and Birgit Ulrich, 55.5 seconds. 2001 – Margo Uusorg and Birgit Ulrich , 55.6 seconds. 2002 – Meelis Tammre and Anne Zillberberg , 63.8 seconds. 2003 – Margo Uusorg and Egle Soll , 60.7 seconds. 2004 – Madis Uusorg and Inga Klauso , 65.3 seconds. 2005 – Margo Uusorg and Egle Soll , 59.1 seconds. 2006 – Margo Uusorg and Sandra Kullas , 56.9 seconds. 2007 – Madis Uusorg and Inga Klauso , 61.7 seconds. 2008 – Alar Voogla and Kirsti Viltrop , 61.9 seconds. 2009 – and , 62.0 seconds. 2010 – and , 64.9 seconds. 2011 – and , 60.7 seconds. 2012 – and , 61.2 seconds. 2013 – and , 65.0 seconds.The Daily Telegraph, 10 July 2013, Finland hosts annual wife-carrying world championships, retrieved 10 July 2013. 2014 – and , 63.7 seconds. 2015 – and , 62.7 seconds. 2016 – Dmitry Sagal and Anastasia Loginova, 62.7 seconds. 2017 – and , 68.6 seconds. 2018 – Vytautas Kirkliauskas and Neringa Kirkliauskiene, 65.1 seconds. 2019 – Vytautas Kirkliauskas and Neringa Kirkliauskiene, 66.7 seconds. 2020 – Event not held 2021 – Event not held 2022 – and , 67.4 seconds. 2023 – and , 66.4 seconds. 2024 – Vytautas Kirkliauskas and Neringa Kirkliauskiene, 63.5 seconds. 2025 – Caleb Roesler and Justine Roesler, 61.1 seconds. 2026 – and ,

Countries

Australia Australian Wife Carrying Championships have been held annually since 2005. Winners: 2005 – Anthony Partridge & Angela Cafe 2006 – Kal Baker & Kelly Smith 2007 – Anthony Partridge and Angela Moore 2008 – Jason Doyle & Lyneece Garland 2009 – Anthony Partridge & Kath Whalan 2010 – Anthony Partridge & Kath Whalan 2011 – Michael & Emma Blenman 2012 – Beau Mynard & Ellie Gresham 2013 – Amiee & Jamie Graham 2014 – Jade Cupitt & Luke Papworth 2015 – Jess McCallum & Ben Gregg 2016 – Adrian and Amanda Betts 2017 – Adam Cullen & Tylee Robinson 2018 – Dylan Hedges & Alana Flemming 2019 – Nicholas Metcalf & Jess Codrington 2022 – Nick & Ashleigh Topham 2023 – Elliott Earnshaw and Adelaide Taylor 2024 – Oliver Klotz & Emma Bestic 2025 – Ben & Jess Gregg

United Kingdom The United Kingdom Wife Carrying Race was introduced in 2008, though the "sport" is claimed to have taken place "with help from our Scandinavian cousins" for around 1200 years from 793AD when Viking raiders raided villages and abducted wives. Winners:

2008 – Joel Hicks carrying Wendy Cook 2009 – Matt Evans carrying Jatinder Gill (the prize was their combined weight in beer - 120 kg) 2010 – John Lund carrying Rosa Fenwick 2011 – Sammy Trowbridge carrying Nathalie 2012 – Tom Wilmot carrying Kirsty Wilmot 2013 – Mike Witko carrying Lindsey Finn (Witko went on to take third place carrying Hattie Archer in the World Championships in Finland) 2014 – Rich Blake Smith carrying his actual wife Anna Smith (they went on to finish second in the world wife carrying championships in 2014 - the highest placing for a British couple). 2015 – Jonathon Schwochert carrying Charlotte Xiong (this race also saw Joel Hicks carrying "Tiny Tina" a male friend in drag who was and 140 kg) 2016 – Jonathan Schwochert carrying Charlotte Xiong (this race saw Joel Hicks carrying two wives simultaneously but coming last) 2017 – Jack McKendrick carrying Kirsty Jones 2018 – Chris Hepworth carrying Tanisha Prince 2019 – Chris Hepworth carrying Tanisha Prince 2020 – Mark Threlfall carrying Cassie Yates 2021 – Event not held because of Covid 2022 – Alex Bone carrying Millie Barnham 2023 – Vytautas Kirkliauskas carrying Neringa Kirkliauskiene (Lithuania) 2018, 2019, 2024 World wife carrying champions. 2024 – Stuart Johnson carrying Hattie Cronin 2025 – Stuart Johnson carrying Hattie Cronin

United States The US final takes place on the second weekend of July in Menahga Minnesota (MN-St. Urho Wife Carry for Charity Challenge). Wife-carrying competitions are also held in Monona, Wisconsin, Minocqua, Wisconsin and Marquette, Michigan.

The North American Wife Carrying Championships takes place every year since 1999 on Indigenous People's Day Weekend in October at Sunday River Ski Resort in Newry, Maine.

In popular culture North American champions Ehrin and April Armstrong were featured as guests on a first-season episode of GSN's revival of I've Got a Secret. BBC Presenters Mike Bushell and Steph McGovern reversed the roles when they took part in the UK annual wife-carrying competition in 2013, she carried him. Bushell said this was a first.

See also Cheese rolling Idiotarod Kinetic sculpture race Wok racing Zoobomb Bog snorkelling Sepak takraw

References

External links

Wife-carrying World Championship in Sonkajärvi Wife carrying competition in the UK