Wife Carrying is a feel good sport. The race is run earnestly and humorously on an obstacle course while carrying a wife. The sport was developed in Sonkajärvi, Finland, and the first Wife Carrying Finnish Championships were held in 1992, with a World Championships being raced for the first time in 1996.
The sport is based on the local legend of Robber Ronkainen. The competition is held annually on the first weekend of July in Sonkajärvi. The primary responsibility for the competition lies with the Sonkajärvi Entrepreneurs association and the board of Sonkajärvi Wife Carrying Ltd.
The Wife Carrying World Championships gather thousands in international audiences in the heart of Upper Savo each year. The village market is held in conjunction with the competition.
The primary purpose of the Wife Carrying World Championships is to bring joy.
The event is produced in collaboration with local businesses, sports clubs and associations. We support our region’s products, services and our goal is to indirectly employ local people.
We want our region to be a good place to live and visit both now and in the future, so we make decisions that are sustainable for the future of the event as well.
We take care of the safety of local residents, our staff and guests, as well as compliance with laws and regulations.
We treat our employees, guests and the residents of our area equally and respectfully, regardless of their background. We also strive to accommodate special needs, such as mobility impairments, in our event.
We guide and encourage event workers to act responsibly.
There is still work to do in the ecological sustainability of the event. We recycle and reuse as much as possible. We implement waste management in accordance with regulations.
We have a Green Start certificate in use.
We are ready to renew and develop our event and services so that there is demand for them also in the future.
Sonkajärvi Wife Carrying Ltd is owned by Sonkajärvi Entrepreneurs Association.
Security
The Wife Carrying World Championships is a secure event. All visitors are security checked on the event gates.
Following items are not allowed on the event:
Alcohol
Any kinds of weapons, knives, explosives, fireworks, lazerpointers, spraycans etc
Clothing or accessories with security colors that remind security personel clothing (neon orange or yellow)
Speakers or boombox systems
Drones
Bicycles, skateboards, scoots, e-bikes
Pets are not allowed at the Evening parties or serving areas (assistant dogs are allowed)
SLR cameras are not allowed at the Evening parties
Umbrellas are not allowed at the Wife Carrying World Championships Arena