Trending Now - Finnish Couple Claims Ale Prize in UK Wife-carrying Contest

WHO:

Teemu Touvinen and Jatta Leinonen from Finland

Edward Nash and Kathryn Knight, the fastest British couple

WHAT:

Teemu Touvinen and Jatta Leinonen won the UK Wife Carrying Race in 1 minute and 45 seconds.

The prize for the winners was a barrel of local ale.

The race featured about two dozen couples participating.

The course length was 380 meters (416 yards).

Edward Nash and Kathryn Knight finished just 4 seconds behind the winners.

WHERE:

The event took place in Dorking, Surrey, England.

WHEN:

The race occurred on Sunday, March 7th, 2026.

The World Wife Carrying Championships will take place in July 2026.

WHY:

The event is inspired by a 19th-century Finnish legend about a gang that pillages villages and steals women.

The emphasis of the race is on lighthearted fun and community engagement.

HOW:

Contestants can carry anyone over 18 and weighing at least 50 kilograms (110 pounds); those under that weight must wear a rucksack filled with flour or water.

Most contestants used the traditional “Estonian Hold” carrying technique, where the “wife” hangs upside-down on the carrier’s back.

Contestants raced up and down a hillside, clearing obstacles like low rows of hay bales and having buckets of water thrown at them.

(UPDATED March 9, 2026 19:21 UTC)

In an exciting finish at the UK Wife Carrying Race held in Dorking, Surrey, Teemu Touvinen and Jatta Leinonen from Finland took home the victory with a time of 1 minute and 45 seconds, earning themselves a barrel of local ale. The competition, which took place on Sunday, March 7, featured about two dozen couples, including the fastest British pair, Edward Nash and Kathryn Knight, who finished just four seconds behind the winners. Inspired by a 19th-century Finnish legend, the event emphasized lighthearted fun as contestants navigated a 380-meter course while employing the traditional “Estonian Hold” technique and overcoming various obstacles.