The Pancake Race at Olney is the best-known of its kind in the UK and beyond -- there is even a "twin" event in Kansas! Competitors must be female residents of Olney but anyone can go to watch them race. The tradition supposedly began in the Fifteenth Century when a local housewife heard the ringing of the bell summoning the congregation to church while she was making her Shrove Tuesday pancakes -- in a rush, she raced to church carrying her frying pan. Today the church bell ringing is still the signal for the race to begin and the competitors wear housewife costume of headscarf, skirt and apron.

2012's winner was 18-year-old Devon Byrne, who completed the race in a time of 58.5 seconds.