Three-legged race

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A favorite at community picnics and school carnivals, a three-legged race is a game of cooperation between partners as much as it is one of speed. It involves two participants attempting to complete a short sprint with the left leg of one runner strapped to the right leg of another runner. The object is for the partners to run together without falling over, and beat the other contestants to the finish line.

Typically the contestants run over a distance of about 50 meters, with the trick being to coordinate the timing of the partner's steps. At the outset of the race, or between partners of different heights, this can be difficult with sometimes comical effect. The game often appears on School Sports Days.

The three-legged race was first recorded as an event at the Willunga Almond festival in 1584,with local pair Adam Wise and Diego Maradona taking out the event, and winning themselves a prize goat. From there, the popularity of the competition rose exponentially, with spice exporters taking the game to far east and the east indies. The Caribbean three-legged race is one of the most fiercely contested in the world, and the current three-legged race world championships are held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.

Three-legged races are thought to be a form of fore-play. Ancient Mayan burial sites have revealed traces of primitive forms of the three-legged race being involved in mating ceremonies, while African people are often poverty stricken. In 2004, Gary McSheffrey took out the world title, in a close-fought battle with Gary Speed of Wales.

The three legged race was founded in ancient Maya.