Snail racing
Form of humorous entertainment
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Snail racing is a form of humorous entertainment that involves the racing of two or more air-breathing land snails. Usually the garden snail (Cornu aspersum) is used. This species is native to Europe, but has been accidentally introduced to many countries all over the world.
There are numerous snail racing events in different places around the world, though the majority take place in the United Kingdom. Snail races usually take place on a circular track with the snails starting in the middle and racing to the perimeter. The track usually takes the form of a damp cloth on top of a table.[1] The radius is traditionally set at 13 or 14 inches (33 to 36 cm). Racing numbers are painted on the shells or small stickers or tags are placed on them to distinguish each competitor.
Competitions
It's always difficult to study the form with snails because they hide inside their shells - but it's actually much easier to commentate on the race because it's slower than horse racing.
World Snail Racing Championships
The annual "World Snail Racing Championships" started in Congham, Norfolk, United Kingdom in the 1960s after founder Tom Elwes witnessed a snail racing event in France.[3] They are usually held in July. The 1995 race saw the setting of the benchmark time of 2 minutes over the 13-inch (33 cm) course by a snail named Archie (speed of 0.006 mph). [4][5] The 2007 event had to be cancelled when the course was waterlogged by a prolonged period of heavy rain, only days after the death of Elwes.[6] The 2008 World Championships were won by Heikki Kovalainen, a snail named after the Formula One racing driver, in a time of 3 minutes and 2 seconds.[7]
| Year | Series | Champion | Snail name | Race time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 26th | Carl Bramham[8] | Archie | 2 mins 0 secs |
| 1996 | 27th | |||
| 1997 | 28th | |||
| 1998 | 29th | Thomas Vincent (1)[9] | Schumacher | |
| 1999 | 30th | |||
| 2000 | 31st | Thomas Vincent (2)[9] | Eddie Irvine | 4 mins 4 secs[8] |
| 2001 | 32nd | |||
| 2002 | 33rd | Brendan Hird | ||
| 2003 | 34th | |||
| 2004 | 35th | |||
| 2005 | 36th | Liam Ellis[10] | Thierry | |
| 2006 | 37th | Emma Hartley[11] | Archie | 2 mins 20 secs |
| 2007 | Cancelled (waterlogged course) | |||
| 2008 | 38th | Georgie Brown | Heikki | 3 mins 2 secs |
| 2009 | 39th | Claire Hopkins | Terri | 2 mins 49 secs |
| 2010 | 40th | Claire Lawrence[5] | Sidney | 3 mins 41 secs |
| 2011 | 41st | Anton Lucas | Zoomer | 3 mins 23 secs |
| 2012 | 42nd | Sue Ryder (1) | Racer | 3 mins 20 secs |
| 2013 | 43rd | Sue Ryder (2) | Racer II | 2 mins 47 secs |
| 2014 | 44th | Zeben Butler-Alldred[12] | Wells | 3 mins 19 secs |
| 2015 | 45th | Dale Thorne[13] | George | 2 mins 45 secs |
| 2016 | 46th | Colin Voss[14] | Herbie 2 | 3 mins 25 secs |
| 2017 | 47th | Tara Beasley[15] | Larry | 2 mins 47 secs |
| 2018 | 48th | Jo Waterfield[16] | Hosta | 3 mins 10 secs |
| 2019 | 49th | Maria Welby[17] | Sammy | 2 mins 38 secs |
| 2020 | Cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic) | |||
| 2021 | Cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic) | |||
| 2022 | Cancelled (COVID-19 pandemic) | |||
| 2023 | 50th | Lettie Spragg[18] | Evie | 7 mins 24 secs |
| 2024 | 51st | Simon Lilley[19] | Jeff | 4 mins 5 secs |
| 2025 | 52nd | Shell Rowe[20] | Bilbo Sluggins | 2 mins 11 secs |
| Champion | Wins | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Sue Ryder | 2 | 2012, 2013 |
| Thomas Vincent | 2 | 1998, 2000 |
Guinness Gastropod Championship
The first official competitive live snail race in London, the "Guinness Gastropod Championship" held in 1999, was commentated by horse racing pundit John McCririck who started the race with the words "Ready, Steady, Slow".[2] This became common terminology for the start of a race.[1][6] The following year Guinness featured a snail race in their advertisement Bet on Black as part of their "Good things come to those who wait" campaign.[21] The advert won the silver award at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival and was self-parodied for their "Extra Cold" campaign several years later.[22]
Grand Championship Snail Race
The "Grand Championship Snail Race" began in 1992 in the village of Snailwell, Cambridgeshire, England as part of its annual summer fête. It regularly attracts up to 400 people to the village, more than doubling its usual population.[23]