UK 'wife carrier' wins muddy title

[Photo: from VCG]

With a sliding dive worthy of a rugby try, Briton Chris Hepworth flung himself and his partner over the finishing line to become UK Wife Carrying champion, and now has his eye on the world title.

The couple beat around 40 pairs over the 380-meter course on Sunday, in a race that was marred by the injury of one wife when her husband slipped in the copious mud and landed on her.

The sport is open to any adult couple, married or not, with the "wife" - of any gender - required to weigh at least 50 kilograms.

On the British course, runners have to tackle hay bale obstacles and are showered with water by spectators.

Having set a course record of one minute and 37 seconds, Hepworth and his partner Tanisha Prince from London plan to take up the chance of competing in the world finals in Finland.

A victorious Hepworth said, "I think a Finnish guy wins it every year so it'll be good to go there and take them down." He claimed he did not practice for the race in Dorking, south of London.

[The audio clip is from Studio+, produced by CRI] 

(Source: Reuters)