Most Bizarre Competitions in the World You Didn’t Know Existed

Human beings are built to be social creatures, getting along with others, developing a deep sense of community, and working harmoniously towards a common goal. Still, throw in enough fodder to fuel our competitive spirit, and we feel alive and willing to compete against each other no matter how bizarre the competitions are. 

Finding enthusiastic participants who thrive when weird conditions are thrown at them isn’t as hard as you believe. The world attracts many interesting competitions every year, from spitting, and wife-carrying, to growing beard championships. Here are a few of these that’ll tickle yet terrify you at the same time. Want to dive in, regardless? 

A Jungle Marathon for the Bravehearts

Fair warning: this event isn’t for the faint-hearted, but guts will only take you so far in this Jungle Marathon. It’s built to test your stamina, perseverance, and willpower. Designed to last seven days, the competitors are required to trek through the diverse terrain of the Amazon Rainforest, including scenic beaches, treacherous trails, and swamps. 

As if regular marathons weren’t challenging enough, there’s every likelihood of being stalked by hungry jaguars in this event. Not even the armed guards accompanying you for your protection will set you at ease. Besides the marathon, the race has two more categories - a 158-mile spread over six stages and the four stages of a 79-mile race. 

World Championships for Growing Beards and Mustaches

Competing against people from around the world over facial hair growth might sound silly, but there are enough and more taking it seriously to warrant an annual event. The World Beard and Mustache Championships, hosted every year by the esteemed Antwerp Mustache Club, are held internationally across nations. 

Like any other sporting event, this Championship is divided into three groups - full beards, partial beards, and mustaches with the participants being judged on categories as wide as 17. In 2019, the event was held at the Chicago Southland in the US, hosted by Remington Beard Boss. We bet many men would be inspired to pay better attention to growing beards and mustaches.

Taking the Dreaded Deep Dive Into the Pool

What’s so unique or bizarre about this diving world championship? For starters, it’s not remotely like the one in the Olympics, even though you’ll have to be a bit daring to compete in that as well. The similarities end at the diving into the pool part; this one lacks the elegance and the controlled movements of the regular sport. 

The divers fling themselves into the pool from an altitude, and before they hit the water surface, are required to do either a classical or a freestyle stunt or a combination of the two. Wait, there’s more - they are also supposed to strike a pose before curving into a ball that hits the water. Terrified yet? 

Carry Your Wife to Win This Championship

Every romance book, drama, or movie has this common trope - carrying your beloved partner. Someone out there thought of incorporating it into a full-fledged international competition. The wife-carrying Championship has attractive prizes in different parts of the world annually. 

It’s an event where the heavier wives are worth in gold; the winners get rewarded with drinks equivalent to the weight or cash five times the weight as long as the husbands can take the load and finish. You will be surprised to know that the Championship draws a lot of crowds and is one of the most entertaining spectator events on a calendar, irrespective of the location.