This Boxing Day, people in West Sussex will be donning their fancy dress and climbing aboard a pram for a drinking session with a difference.
Pagham Pram Race claims to be the oldest pram race in the world, and it takes place annually in the West Sussex village.
The race first took place in 1946 when a group of demobbed servicemen decided to race, pushing one man in a pram, around the local pubs, drinking a pint in each. The prize for winning the quirky race back then was a Christmas cake.
These days the prams and the participants are usually dressed up in all kinds of creative costumes, with last year’s fancy dress race winners sporting a yellow submarine theme. Other past teams have come up with Super Mario, Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland, and Ghost Busters themes. And teams taking part have been known to come from as far afield as New Zealand and Japan.
The rules to the Pagham Pram Race are fairly simple. There must be no running with the pram, and the person in the pram must remain in place for the duration of the race (including at the pubs). Both the person pushing the pram and the person in the pram must drink a beer at each pub or beer station on the route. Each pram must have four wheels and have no propulsion devices attached.
To take part you must be over 18 years of age and be able to complete the three-mile, three-pint course. All money raised from the event will go to local charities. There are different race categories to enter, including Fancy Dress, Novelty and Pub Challenge. All entrants take part at their own risk!
The race begins at The Mill on Pagham Road, and finishes at The Lamb Inn car park, via several local pubs and ‘beer stations’. The race takes in the Bear Inn, Lamb Inn and Pagham Beach Cafe.
When: 26th December 2019
Where: Pagham, West Sussex
£: Free to watch
More info: www.paghampramrace.com and www.facebook.com/Paghampramrace
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