Fifty-three men slung their wives or partners over their shoulders and hurtled off on an hour-long race in Sonkajarvi town in Finland on Saturday, as thousands cheered from the stands.
The championship, which was introduced back in 1995, has gained a lot of fan-following as every year, thousands of supporters gather to see men from different nationalities carrying their wives and running miles.
Amazingly, qualifying rounds are organised in countries like United Kingdom, United States, Sweden and Estonia to take part in the championship. The idea of wife-carrying championship was inspired by the 19th century legend of Ronkainen the Robber, who used to test his gang members by directing them to carry sacks of grain.
Lithuanian couple Vytautas Kirkliauskas and Neringa Kirkliauskiene won the race which involved running, wading through a slippery pool and getting through an obstacle course. Celebrating his hard-earned victory, Kirkliauskas shouted: “This is my wife. She is the best,” as the two embraced each other.
The couple first competed in Sonkajarvi in 2005, but could not succeed until the 23rd and latest edition of the competition.