Colombia's first-ever wife-carrying championship sees numerous contestants navigate a 730-metre course.

The first Colombian wife-carrying championship was held on September 21 in San Clemente, Guatica Risaralda around 400 kilometres from the capital Bogota.

20 couples took part in the event which took place on a course that included a number of hazards including a water feature.

Former British wife-carrying champion Joel Hicks made the 30-hour journey to compete in the inaugural championships.

Wife-carrying races have spread with national competitions held in Australia, Poland, England and the US and now in South America.

The first Colombian Wife Carrying Championships was held on September 21st in San Clemente, Guatica Risaralda some 400 km’s from the capital Bogota.

Wife Carrying is a contest in which (usually) male competitors race whilst each carrying a female teammate. Traditionally, each team is composed of a husband and wife couple, however, not everyone has a wife these days and so this policy is not strictly adhered to!

Originally introduced in Finland, the objective for the male runners is to carry their ‘wife’ through a special obstacle course in the fastest time. Several methods of posture and technique are used.

20 couples took part in the event. The course had a number of hazards including a water feature and was around 800 yards long.

Former British Wife Carrying Champion (2008) Joel Hicks made the 30-hour journey to compete in the inaugural Championships – He didn’t win but put in a strong performance.

For others, many took off too quickly, only to slow to a crawl by the end, with some men even dropping their load at various points on the course, much to the amusement of the locals. In the end, it was a mother and son combination – Nancy Villada and Brian Alarcon Villada, who completed the course in 2.16.63 and took the crown!