The city of Menahga is hosting the St. Urho Wife Carry for Charity Challenge on July 11. Strong men and tenacious women are invited to compete.
"It's all about fun," organizer Greg Anderson said. Registration is limited to 50 teams. Anderson mailed letters to local law enforcement, firefighters and charitable organizations to "drum up wife-carrying participants."
If you don't know how "wife carrying" works, here it goes:
A team comprises a "husband" and "wife," who are over 21 but don't have to be legally married.
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"It's not always practical to have your real wife for the competition," noted Anderson.
With wives slung over their shoulders, husbands will race 270 yards along the streets of Menahga, across a sandy beach and through a portion of Spirit Lake. Helmets are recommended.
Teams run the route two at a time in initial heats, and the four fastest teams qualify for the final heat.
The St. Urho Wife Carry Contest offers a loftier goal than the Finish traditional prize of the winner's weight in beer: To raise awareness of charities statewide, as well as create a lasting event for the Menahga community, organizers said.
The winning team's charity of choice receives a $250 check and the team hauls in their weight in prize money.
Second place takes home the husband's weight in cash, while third place garners the wife's weight.
Inspired by a 19th century robber Herkko Rosvo-Ronkainen, who raided Finnish villages and stole women on their backs, the first modern wife-carrying contest was in Finland in 1992. Races have since been held in the United Kingdom, Australia, India, China and North and South Americas.
Anderson anticipates the race will be shown widely through an exchange network with other public access TV stations across Minnesota and the U.S.
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"Wife-carrying could put this region and Menahga on the map," enthused Anderson. "I have high hopes that we'll get some network news people here."
To register for the St. Urho race or for more information, visit www.mn-sturhowifecarry.com , email real@mn-sturhowifecarry.com or like the Facebook page.
