Prepare to embark on a journey into the extraordinary as we unveil a selection of the world’s wackiest competitions. These events are not for the faint of heart, testing the limits of human endurance, creativity, and, let’s face it, sanity.
Get scrolling for some of the weirdest, wackiest, and most delightful contests we’ve discovered!
17th Street High Heel Race (USA)
The 17th Street High Heel Race in Washington, D.C., USA, is an annual footrace where participants must cross the finish line wearing high heels. Participants often dress up in drag. The race is part of the ‘High Heel Race Series,’ founded in Washington, D.C., in 1986. It began as a bet among friends and drag queens to see who could make it to the end of 17th Street in the Dupont district of Washington.
This competition is usually held during Pride Week (just before Halloween). The current record for the fastest high heel race was set in 2019 at an impressive time of 15 minutes, 19 seconds!
Amateur Chessboxing World Championship
As the name hilariously suggests, chessboxing is a hybrid sport that combines the physical exertion of boxing with the mental sharpness of chess. It’s a full-contact sport where opponents alternate between rounds of chess and boxing. The match consists of up to 11 rounds: six of chess and five of boxing. The winner is determined by checkmate in chess, a technical knockout in boxing, or a judge’s decision.
Interestingly, the term ‘chessboxing’ originated from a 1979 martial arts movie and grew from there. While the first official chessboxing event took place in London, it’s now spread worldwide, with the biggest competitions happening in Los Angeles.
