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Wife carrying
Wife carrying or eukonkanto originated in Sonkajärvi, Finland but championships are played worldwide. Contestants must be in couples with the girl hoisted onto the boy's back in a piggy back, fireman's lift or an adventurous upside-down-with-legs-wrapped-around-the-neck style (see picture). The game goes back at least two centuries and is thought to have originated as a joke based on a practise where young men publicly carried off the women they wanted to marry. But there are some pretty staunch rules despite its jovial nature: The track must be 253.5 metres; it must include two dry obstacles and a water obstacle; and each wife must weigh more than 49 kilograms or be given a rock to carry. But most importantly the lady you hoist needn't be your actual wife as the official rules state you may borrow your neighbour's.
Video: Wife carrying race