In Maubeuge, in the North, a funny spectacle attracted attention: duos launched on a timed course, one carried on the shoulders or in the arms of the other, amid obstacles. The exercise makes you smile, but it requires a real physical commitment, almost like an endurance race condensed over a few hundred meters.
The principle is clear: over 250 meters dotted with obstacles, one member of the duo carries his or her partner to the finish line to try to win a very special prize, the weight of the person carried in a beer. Imported from Finland, this unusual discipline is making its first appearance in the region, with a decidedly playful tone. In the France 3 report, a participant sums up the effort with humor: , reports France 3.
Carrying championship in Maubeuge: a challenge as fun as it is physical
In Maubeuge, this carrying championship takes up the spirit of the famous Finnish women’s carrying, but speaking of “partner” rather than “wife”. Each team is made up of two people, one playing the role of the carrier, the other of the person being carried, on a 250-meter course punctuated with obstacles that test balance, coordination and leg power.
The event is presented as a first edition in Hauts-de-France, placed under the sign of effort, humor and self-deprecation. Participants come not only for the clock or the beer prize, but also to share an offbeat moment, test their limits and embrace the deliberately absurd side of this funny sport.
Finnish women’s carrying, origin of the carrying championship
This competition has its roots in Finnish “woman’s wear”, born in 1992 in the small town of Sonkajärvi. There, the World Wife Carrying Championship has become a highly publicized summer event, surrounded by a legend featuring a bandit, Herkko Rosvo-Ronkainen, and women carried like sacks of grain. Over the years, eukonkanto has been exported well beyond Finland.
In the official Finnish version, the course measures 253.5 meters and has two dry obstacles and a water obstacle approximately one meter deep. The person being carried must weigh at least 49 kg, even if it means adding weight to a backpack if necessary. The regulations also require a helmet for the person worn and a belt for the wearer, aged at least 17 years old. And then, despite the name, the “wife” does not need to be the real spouse: friends, acquaintances or couples form duets, sometimes with spectacular techniques like the “Estonian” position.
A weight of your partner in beer: a very special reward
The specificity that fascinates the most remains the reward: in many Finnish women’s carrying competitions, the winning couple leaves with the weight of their partner in beer. Concretely, this means as many liters of beer as kilos for the person being carried, a prize that is both festive and very visual, which has largely contributed to the notoriety of this unusual sport.
Some champions have become real references: an Estonian duo, Margo Uusorg and Sandra Kullas, for example, won the eleventh edition of the world championship in 56.9 seconds and won 50 liters of beer. In Maubeuge, promising the partner’s weight in beer clearly places the competition in this Nordic tradition. Because ultimately, this symbolic prize sums up the spirit of the discipline: a mixture of athletic performance, beer culture and assumed lightness.
How does a woman carrying championship take place?
The duos cover around 250 meters strewn with obstacles, one carrying the other; in Maubeuge, the route is 250 meters, while in Finland the official distance is 253.5 meters, and victory can be the weight of the person carried in a beer.
Why does the winner gain his partner’s weight in beer?
It is a tradition rooted in the Finnish women’s wear championships, where this fun prize highlights the festive spirit of the competition and has been taken up in other competitions, such as in Maubeuge.
Does the Maubeuge Carrying Championship follow Finnish rules?
It follows the general principle of women’s wear, with a course of approximately 250 meters and obstacles, as well as the reward for the partner’s weight in beer, while adapting the organization and staging to local constraints.
Who can participate in a bride-carrying competition?
Under international rules, the person being carried must be at least 17 years old and weigh at least 49 kg, but she does not need to be the official spouse; many duos of friends or couples show up, in Finland as well as during this type of event in France.
