Odd News

Olympian wins wife carrying contest

(AP)
Updated: 2006-10-10 11:27

NEWRY, Maine - John Farra, a former Winter Olympian from Caribou who trained by running up a ski slope with 80 pounds of mortar mix, won the seventh annual North American Wife Carrying Championship on Saturday at Sunday River.

John Farra carries his 110-pound wife, Tess, over a 278-yard obstacle course to win the North American Wife Carrying Championship, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2006, at the Sunday River Ski Resort, in Newry, Maine. The Caribou, Maine, couple won Tess's weight in beer and five times her weight in cash. [AP]

Farra's first-place finish earned him and his 110-pound wife Tess her weight in beer and five times her weight in cash, or $550. They also are eligible for a $1,000 reimbursement toward a trip to the world championships in Finland next July.

The Farras completed the 278-yard course, which includes a water trough and log hurdles, in 1 minute, 6 seconds in the critical heat and 1 minute, 4 seconds in the final. Daniel Brown and Janel Worcester of Brewer were second, about 10 seconds behind, in the field of 27 couples.

Farra, who competed in cross-country ski races in the 1992 Games in Albertville, France, trained for the wife carry by running up a slope near his home each morning before work with 80 pounds of mortar mix in a backpack.

Several hundred spectators turned out for the competition during the height of western Maine's fall foliage season.