Introduction to Wife Carrying

Facts, general information and resources focused on the sport of wife carrying.

SPORT NAME: Wife Carrying
SPORT INTRODUCED: 1992 in the Sonkajarvi municipality of Finland
DESCRIPTION: male competitors race through an obstacle course while carrying a female partner

Australia Events

EVENT: Australian Wife Carrying Championship
WEB SITE: ? | Link |

Canada Events

EVENT: Scandinavian Midsummer Festival Wife Carrying Contest
DATE: June 23, 2019
LOCATION: British Columbia, Canada
WEB SITE: scandinavianmidsummerfestival.com/wife-carrying-contest
ARCHIVE: https://web.archive.org/web/20190714060000/https://scandinavianmidsummerfestival.com/wife-carrying-contest/

Finland Events

Guatemala Events

EVENT: Central America Wife Carrying Championships
DATE: July 27, 2019 |
LOCATION: Guatemala
WEB SITE: retoextremomatrimonial.org
ARCHIVE: https://web.archive.org/web/20190714060000/http://www.retoextremomatrimonial.org/

United Kingdom Events

EVENT: United Kingdom Wife Carrying Race
EDITIONS:
- 2025 March 16 | leithhilltrailrunners.org |

United States Events

STATE: Florida
EVENT: Florida Championship Wife Carrying Contest |
DATE: March 1, 2020
WEB SITE: midnightsunfest.org/wife-carrying
ARCHIVE: https://web.archive.org/web/20190714060000/https://www.midnightsunfest.org/wife-carrying

STATE: Minnesota
EVENT: United States Wife Carrying Final (2015 only?)
ALSO KNOWN AS: MN St. Urho Wife Carry for Charity Challenge
PART OF: Menahga Midsummer Celebration
TYPICALLY HELD: 2nd weekend in July
WEB SITE: mn-sturhowifecarry.com (offline) Archives: | 2015 | 2016 |
SOCIAL MEDIA: Facebook Page |
LOCATION: Menahga, Minnesota, United Stateds
EDITIONS:
- 1st: 2015 July 11 | archive
- 2nd: 2016 July 9 | event cancelled for lack of teams | archive |

STATE: Michigan (Hancock)
EVENT: Hancock Heikinpäivä Wife Carrying Competition
PART OF: Heikinpäivä Mid-Winter Festival
FESTIVAL SOCIAL MEDIA: | Facebook | FB Events |
LOCATION: Hancock, Michigan, United States
EDITIONS:
- 2025 January 25 (Saturday)
- 2023 January 19 (Thursday)

STATE: Michigan (Marquette)
EVENT NAME: Marquette Mountain Wife Carrying Championship
HAS ALSO BEEN KNOWN AS: U.P Wife Carrying Championship
COURSE: 278 yard obstacle course
VENUE: Marquette Mountain Resort | marquettemountain.com |
LOCATION: Marquette, Michigan
EDITIONS:
- 2024 May 11 (Saturday) | Announcement (Archive) |

STATE: Montana
EVENT: Rocky Mountain Wife Carrying Championship DATE: July 21, 2019 |
LOCATION: Bozeman, MONTANA
WEB SITE: 406statefair.com/rocky-mountain-wife-carrying-championship
ARCHIVE: https://web.archive.org/web/20190714060000/https://406statefair.com/rocky-mountain-wife-carrying-championship

STATE: South Dakota
EVENT: Midwest Wife Carrying Championships | South Dakota |
DATE: June 22, 2019
WEB SITE: fredericksd.com/wife-carrying
ARCHIVE: https://web.archive.org/web/20190627133412/https://www.fredericksd.com/wife-carrying

STATE: Tennessee
EVENT: Carry-Thee Contest in
DATE: August 17, 2019
LOCATION: Clarksville, Tennessee, United States

STATE: Texas
EVENT: Texas Wife Carrying Championship (2012-2015)
FIRST HELD: 2012
LAST HELD: 2015
TYPICALLY HELD: July or August
- 4th: 2015 July 18 (Saturday) | YouTube1 | YouTube2 | houstonpress.com
- 3rd: 2014 August 23 (Saturday) | YouTube | fbherald.com
- 2nd: 2013 August 24 (Saturday)
- 1st 2012 August 25 (Saturday) | YouTube | chron.com |
VENUE: River Pointe Church (Richmond) or West End Church (Houston)
ADDRESS: 5000 Ransom Road
LOCATION: Richmond or Houston, Texas, United States

STATE: Wisconsin (Minocqua)
EVENT: Minocqua Wife Carrying Contest
EDITIONS:
- 2008 | flickr.com |

STATE: WYOMING
EVENT: Wyoming Wife Carrying Championship
DATE: July 4, 2019
WEB SITE: ranchesterwyoming.com/july-4th-celebration-connor-battlefield-state-park-in-ranchester/
ARCHIVE: https://web.archive.org/web/20190714060000/http://www.ranchesterwyoming.com/july-4th-celebration-connor-battlefield-state-park-in-ranchester/

References:

- wikipedia.org - wife carrying - article
- commons.wikimedia.org - wife carrying - images category
- eukonkanto.fi
- trionium.com - wife

RELATED RESOURCES:
- Sports by Type
- Sports by Name
- Ask About Sports
- Home Page of Skate Dancer