Want to spice up your runner’s life? Here’s a handpicked list of the most unusual races out there. Have you ever done a truly weird race? Which one would you love to try? 😉
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Most animal-powered race: The Man VS Horse Marathon
Tired of winning every race you enter? The Man VS Horse Marathon might finally give you a rival worthy of your endurance and grit, a horse.
In 1980, like any self-respecting Welshman, Gordon Green met two friends at a pub. One of them claimed that over long distance, a human could be just as fast as a horse. Gordon Green decided to put that theory to the test and launched the very first race.
Over a distance of 22 miles (35 kilometres), around 500 runners go head-to-head with roughly 50 horses. The course is rugged, and the weather is often unpredictable, perfect conditions to test real endurance performance.
It took 25 editions before the first man finally beat the horse. Huw Lobb won the promised £25,000 prize, the pot increasing by £1,000 each year. Florian Holzinger became the second man to win the challenge three years later. Will you be the third?
Most romantic (or not…): Wife carrying
You’ve always dreamed of racing with your other half? Wife carrying is your event. The goal is simple, carry your girlfriend or wife as fast as possible over an obstacle course. And if you’re determined, you can swap roles too 😉
Every year, a World Championship is held in Finland. The winning couple takes home the woman’s weight in beer.
The course is about 300 metres long and includes two obstacles and a river crossing. The minimum required weight is 49 kg, otherwise the woman is weighted to reach it. Also worth knowing, wearing a bike helmet is mandatory.
Most festive race: the Médoc and Beaujolais marathons
Drink or run, do you really have to choose? Not at the Médoc and Beaujolais marathons. The route winds through French vineyards, a dream course for wine lovers who also happen to be marathon runners. Each château you pass offers tasting stations as part of the aid stops. Many runners show up in costume for these friendly, high-energy events that draw several thousand marathoners and plenty of unforgettable finish-line stories.
The Médoc Marathon takes place in September, and the Beaujolais Marathon in November.
Most hopped-up race: The Beer Mile
Want to combine your love of running and beer in one race? The Beer Mile is made for you. The concept is simple, four track laps (1,609 m to be exact) and four beers to drink as fast as possible.
Even if you’ve never beaten your buddy in a race, you might actually have a shot in this one 😉
There are two versions. The Beer Mile, American-style, uses 355 ml bottles, and the Chunder Mile, British-style, uses 568 ml pints, always bigger. In the first, you’ll get a penalty lap if you throw up during the race, while it’s allowed in the second. In both cases, the beer must be at least 5.0% alcohol.
The Beer Mile World Classic brings together hundreds of runners every year, in a different location each time.
The cheesiest race: Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling and Wake
In England, this event takes place on Cooper’s Hill near Gloucester. The goal is to catch a cheese, a seven-pound Double Gloucester, launched from the top of the hill. In reality, the cheese can hit 100 km/h, and the winner is simply the first person to cross the finish line (about 200 metres) at the bottom.
Every year, plenty of runners end up in hospital with sprained ankles or even fractures. This race is a true tradition and is said to have existed for more than 200 years.
Photo credit: Reway2007
The one where you get caught: Wings for Life World Run
Run until a car catches you, that’s the challenge behind the Wings for Life World Run. Held simultaneously in around 30 countries, tens of thousands of runners push their endurance for as long as possible, raising funds for spinal cord injury research.
The concept is brilliant, a Catcher Car starts 30 minutes after the race begins at 15 km/h, then gradually speeds up. Your race ends the moment the car catches you. The current record stands at 92.14 kilometres. It’s also now possible to race against a virtual Catcher Car using the dedicated Wings for Life mobile app.
Most monumental race: The Eiffel Tower Vertical Race
Climb 1,665 steps in the most famous monument in Paris, that’s the challenge. It adds up to 276 metres of positive elevation gain, and only a little over a hundred lucky runners are selected each year.
The top men need a bit under 8 minutes, and the top women under 10 minutes, to earn one of the best panoramic views over the French capital.
More than 250 tower runs, these stair-climbing races, are now organised worldwide. For the most durable endurance athletes, the Ultra Trail de Montmartre challenges you to climb the hill 271 times, that’s 10,000 m of elevation gain and 60,000 steps.
Most brutal race: The Barkley
The Barkley Marathons is one of the most demanding ultra-trail events on Earth, with only about 2% finishers. Laz, the race founder, got the idea after a prisoner escaped from the Frozen Head State Penitentiary. After 55 hours on the run, the fugitive had only covered a few kilometres and got lost. Laz figured he could have run at least 100 miles in that time.
The challenge, cover 100 miles (five loops of 20 miles each) in under 60 hours. Every year, the course changes and it isn’t marked. Participants must tear out pages from books placed along each loop to prove they reached the checkpoints.
In 2017, Gary Collins nearly joined the tiny club of finishers by completing all five loops in 60 hours and 6 seconds.
In France, the Chartreuse Terminorum follows the same spirit, 300 km and 25 km of elevation gain to complete in under 80 hours. Consider yourself warned.
Scariest race: Run for Your Lives
In the United States, Run For Your Lives is an obstacle race where zombies are part of the course. This survival-style event has become a hit, with actors that look terrifyingly real. With that, your heart rate might spike to 200.
In France, the Zombie Run has arrived in Paris and Lyon.
