England has emerged victorious in the World Snail Racing Championships, an annual event with a history spanning over six decades. Snailor Swift, a garden snail trained by Sam Pemberton from East Anglia, clinched the gold medal this past weekend at the Grimston Cricket Ground in Congham, Norfolk.
The winning mollusc navigated the 13-inch course in three minutes and 13 seconds, outpacing 271 other garden snails. Competitors and trainers from nine countries, including Brazil and France, participated in the quirky competition. Snailor Swift's prize was a silver tankard filled with lettuce.
The Snail Racing World Championships are a highlight of Congham's Big Summer Bash fete and were initially established to raise funds for the village's 13th-century church. The event now attracts thousands of spectators and hundreds of entrants annually.
Participants can either bring their own snails or rent one for a small fee. Trainers often spend days preparing their molluscs for the competition. The race format involves snails starting from the center of a circle and moving towards the outside. Once on the track, owners are not permitted to touch their racers. The race begins with the traditional call, "Ready, steady, SLOW!" The Snail Master ensures the course remains well-watered, as snails perform best in damp conditions.
Heats are conducted throughout the afternoon, culminating in a grand final. The world record for the fastest snail, set by a mollusc named Archie in 1995, stands at two minutes. The competition adheres to strict rules, allowing only garden snails to participate.
