Inside UK’s ‘horrendous’ Great Potato Race with 100-year-old history
Britain has a long and proud history of food-related sports, with the annual Cooper’s Hill cheese-rolling race drawing fromage fans to Gloucestershire every year.
But a lesser-known – and equally delicious – annual competition takes place just a few counties along.
In Central Bedfordshire, the Flitton Potato Race is a long-running tradition that sees racers carry a sack of potatoes along a well-trodden race track in the hopes of making it over the finish line.
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And with the contest taking place today (Sunday, June 11), race bosses are hoping for a record turnout this year.
(Image: flittonpotatorace.co.uk)
Organiser Simon Sadler told the Daily Star: “It is believed that between the First and Second World Wars, there was an opportunity at the end of the potato season for farmhands to earn some extra cash.
“They would carry a sack of potatoes, taking them from the church to the farm, [the] winner takes a cash prize and they can keep the potatoes.”
Racers used to be given 100kg worth of spuds to carry, but after that was determined a safety risk the weight was dropped to 20kg for men and 10kg for women.
The individual race is one mile long, but participants can also take part in a relay – and as of 2010 there’s the aptly-named Spud and Spoon race for children.
(Image: flittonpotatorace.co.uk)
One racer, Stephen Butler, reckons he’s taken part about eight times – despite vowing every time never to sign up again.
“It’s horrendous,” Stephen, who has also been on the organisational committee, admitted.
“Every year I say I’m never going to do it again, and every year, I go back and give it another go. One year I did it twice, for some reason.”
Stephen has been doing the Potato Race for years and watched his children grow up taking part – and he says the bizarre activity keeps the community together.
(Image: Stephen Butler)
“It’s more than just the race itself. It’s the whole atmosphere of the day. The serious runners get the running out of the way to begin with, then you have to relay, but the best [part] of the day is just watching the kids running about.
“My daughter ran the race first as a toddler, and she’s 14 now. My son has run it a few times too, it’s something that really stands out in their memories of growing up in a village.”
Participants are typically allowed to take home their taters as a tasty trophy but the current cost of living crisis means things could possibly be different this year.
“Potatoes are now so expensive,” Simon explained.
(Image: flittonpotatorace.co.uk)
And giving out tens of kilos of participants will be extra pricy this year, with more than 300 racers set to show up alongside 600 spectators, meaning just shy of 1000 people are expected descend upon the rural town.
The proceeds from the race all go to charity, with the cash divided up between local, regional and national charities chosen annually.
This year the money will go to Primrose Car Service, the My Name’s Doddie Foundation, Mind BLMK and the NOAH Enterprise. To date, the Flitton Potato Race has raised more than £44,000 for charity.
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