THE WORLD CHAMPION TAKES HOME HIS WIFE'S WEIGHT… IN BEER! WELCOME TO EUKONKANTO
There is a world championship where the medal is weighed in beer, where your partner is carried upside down, and where falling costs you fifteen seconds. Welcome to Sonkajärvi, in North Savo, for Eukonkanto — the Wife Carrying World Championships, officially Eukonkannon MM-kisat. The rule is formidably simple: 253.5 metres of obstacle course, run while carrying your partner. A water crossing about a metre deep, logs, sand — all against the clock.
The star technique has a name: the "Estonian carry", the partner hanging upside down over the carrier's shoulders, legs around the neck. The person carried must weigh at least 49 kg — below that, ballast is mandatory. And if the carried partner falls: a 15-second penalty. One detail changes everything: there is no need to be married — you may carry a partner of your choice. The champions' prize has become legendary: the carried partner's weight… in beer, plus a trophy.
The origin claimed by the official website is worth the detour: in the 19th century, the brigand Herkko Rosvo-Ronkainen put his recruits through a test of strength carrying sacks of grain — and his band, legend says, raided villages now for grain, now for women. The modern championships were created in 1992 and draw teams from all over the world — the United States, Australia, Europe — before thousands of spectators, according to the specialist press.
And this is the best-documented festival in our entire Top 10: the next dates, 2 and 3 July 2027, were read directly on the homepage of the official website of the committee and the municipality of Sonkajärvi. Number 9 in our ranking: the most seriously absurd couples' event on the planet. On your shoulders!
Practical information
Eukonkanto — Eukonkannon MM-kisat (Wife Carrying World Championships)
Where: Sonkajärvi (North Savo), Finland
Next edition: 2 and 3 July 2027 — dates read on the official website (2026 edition: 3–4 July)
Organisers: the championships committee and the municipality of Sonkajärvi
Official website: https://eukonkanto.fi
Tickets: prices not published in the sources consulted (checked on 17 October 2026) — enquire with the organiser
Photo (if used): © Hannu Keränen / Eukonkannon MM-kisat — 2023 edition photo published by the official website
— Moïse 1er, the Festival Explorer