Get set to carry home a UK title

COUPLES, friends and colleagues from the region are being urged to take part in UK’s Official Wife Carrying Championships next month.

There’s still time to register for the event in Kirkcudbright on July 19.

It’s the UK’s first official Wife Carrying Championship, run in partnership with the Eukankanto World Championships in Finland, and will see competitors tackle an obstacle course while carrying their partner using one of the sport’s traditional carrying techniques.

Despite the name, competitors do not need to be married. Teams can consist of friends, partners, work colleagues, gym buddies or family members, and all gender combinations are welcome.

And the winning team will receive their partner’s weight in beer and a place at the World Wife Carrying Championships 2027 in Finland with a contribution towards travel costs.

It will be part of this year’s Kirkcudbright Country Fair weekend and a spokesperson said: “Wife carrying is a genuine international sport that combines fitness, teamwork, endurance, and a healthy sense of humour.

“While the spectacle provides plenty of laughs for spectators, competitors quickly discover that success requires real athletic ability and technique.

“There are few opportunities for people to become a UK Champion, and with a limited number of entrants (50 couples), this is a fantastic opportunity to do just that!”