The UK Wife Carrying Race 2011 was named the UK's Top Adventure Race by Runner's World (February 2012) and was runner up in 2012.

These are your race instructions - you will not receive anything in the post.

Remember, Wife Carrying is a potentially dangerous activity, which could result in injury and/or death. You take part in the race at your own risk (but we haven't had an injury yet!).

If you can't take part, please email me at rob@trionium.com to let me know (I'm always interested to know why as well - last year we had two wive who had become pregnant by the day of the race).

The race will take place on the Nower, in Dorking, but the race HQ is at The Priory School, West Bank, Dorking, Surrey RH4 3DG. It is a three minute walk to the race start from the HQ. Park at the school.

Firstly, park up and make your way to the registration area. There you will be able to pick up your race t-shirt (carriers and wives both) and your race number (carriers only).

This year, we are asking all competitors to wear their t-shirts during the race.

Carriers, when you fix your race numbers to your shirt, please don't obscure the lovely race logo. Please bring four safety pins.

The race weigh-in will be at the race start (in the freezing cold) starting at 10.15. All 'wives' must weigh at least 50kg. If you don't weigh 50kg, bring something (rucksack full of baked beans for example) to bring you up to the minimum weight.

All of those being carried must wear a helmet.

There is a prize of £100 for the first couple to complete the course using the Dorking Hold (the reverse Estonian hold), also known as wife carrying position No. 69.

There will be a special prize of a pound of sausages for the carrier of the heaviest wife - who completes the course - for strength. Honour and fame be upon them.

The race will start at 10.30. There will be hay-bay hurdles, and on the way back there will be the water hazard - buckets of cold water.

If you drop the 'wife' you must both take three steps backwards before remounting.

Tips - grippy shoes might help. The course is uphill to half way (steepening) and back down to the finish. A belt on the carrier may give the 'wife' something to grip on to. The Estonian Hold is generally the fastest, but the shoulder-ride could also be effective. Do practice before the race if you can. The race takes from 2 minutes (winners) to 4 minutes (last-placers) so it will be over in a flash! Keep smiling!

We will have a small awards ceremony at the end of the race. All finishers receive a minikeg of Pilgrim ale, while the winners receive a barrel (and £500 towards their participation in the World Wife Carrying Championships in Finland in the summer). Last-placed finishers receive the ceremonial tin of dog food and a Pot Noodle.

Remember to smile… there will be TV crews and press photographers, so this is your moment in the world spotlight!

2nd UK Wife Carrying Race 2009

Well, that was fun!

The 2nd UK Wife Carrying Race and the Leith Hill Half Marathon brought competitors to Dorking from across the country and from around the world on Sunday 8 March 2009. The races aid a number of local charities including the Rainbow Trust and Rianna's Fund, and are sponsored by the Pilgrim Brewery in Reigate. The races are also supported by Dorking and Mole Valley Athletic Club. The races take place with the kind permission of the Surrey Wildlife Trust and the National Trust.

In the Wife Carrying Race, six couples (who did not need to be married) raced over a course of around 250m, with a slight incline to the half way point and a 'sprint' back down to the finish. The winning couple, Matt Evans and Jatinder Gill adopted the exotic-looking 'Estonian' hold, and romped home in a new course record of 1 minute and 51 seconds. The winners won their combined weight in beer from the Pilgrim Brewery - a liver-testing 120kg-worth. While the other finishers won themselves beer vouchers, the last couple to finish, Simon Bickerstaff and Louise Piears, won themselves a tin of dog food and a pot noodle.

UK Wife Carrying Race 2009 Photos

(YouTube Video of the UK Wife Carrying Race 2008 thanks to Chris O'C)

RW Discussion on the 2009 races

The First UK Wife Carrying Race - 2008

The first UK Wife Carrying Race has been staged in Dorking, on 9th March 2008. The race is modelled on popular races in the Finland, Estonia and the US.

UK Wife Carrying Race 2008 Video (Quicktime, 20Mb)

UK Wife Carrying Race 2008 Photos

Three brave couples took part: Joel Hicks and Wendy Cook, Ian and Kath Phillips, and Kevin Bailey and Kim Lowe. Joel opted for the transverse fireman's carry, while the other two couples went for the classic piggyback. Joel Hicks (a veteran fundraiser who had travelled from Hinkley, Leicestershire, in order to take part) was dressed as a baby, complete with nappy and fetching blue connet.

Joel took an early lead, and hardly slowed down to walk until the climb to the half way high point, whereupon he accelerated away again, leaving the other two couples jostling for second place. Joel - a well-built young gent, to say the least - sprinted home in just 1 minute 59 seconds for the 200m course, although Kevin Bailey was a close-run second in 2:13. Ian jogged in a breathless but happy third, to win the last-placer's Pot Noodle, in 2:30.

At the winner's weigh-in, Joel and Wendy weighed in at an impressive 153kg: the prize money was £1/kg of combined weight. Joel and Wendy kindly suggested that the prize money should be donated to the Rainbow Children's Hospice.