T-shirt, medal, and keg of beer

What I really like about the wife-carrying race is the lack of a goody bag. Usually, when you finish a big organised race you get a goody bag. It might sound obvious, but goody bags contain goodies. Goody, you're thinking, you like goodies. But the goodies are normally energy bars, drinks, and sample-sized freebies for gels, lotions and other sports-related stuff. Once I've snaffled the energy bar, I usually throw everything else away.

The wife-carrying race is different though. No goody bag. Just a quality wicking t-shirt with the names of the participants printed on it, a hugely desirable medal (well. desirable if you're mad like me), and, wait for it, a mini keg of beer! And we're talking about locally brewed stuff. Quality t-shirt, desirable medal, and beer beats any goody bag.

So how did we get on? Well, we weren't last (that honour goes to a chap carrying a 'wife' weighing 140kg - and they had most of the media attention), and we weren't first (that honour went to an American couple who completed the 380m hilly course in just 2 minutes). We were in the latter part of the pack. Of course, carrying someone piggyback is much, much harder than Estonian-style (well that's what I keep telling myself). Check out the second picture to see us alongside the Estonian holders.

And, we had a lovely time. Elaine spent most of the racing laughing (until we reached the people with the water buckets and the water pistols).

And my quads were twice the size by the time I'd finished.

Will we do it again next year? I'm sure we will, and we'll encourage a few more Rosemeadians to join us.