This Week in Weird Sports: Man Versus Horse Marathon

“Man vs. Mr. Ed”

“Man vs. Mr. Ed”


Each June, the Man versus Horse Marathon is a 22 mile race that pits runners against horseback riders.  Few sports pit species against species and few sports have ever made man feel so much like horse shit.  


The race, which has been held in the Welsh town of Llanwrtyd Wells since 1980, doesn’t meet the distance requirements to be called a legitimate marathon, but it’s called one anyway, because, you know, Wales. The disparity in victories might lead one to think that there’s just no reason for man and horse to race. And while we might at first agree, at present the humans are 2-29 against horses since the competition began, which means holy shit two people ran faster than horses.


Still, the man vs. horse marathon is the rare sport that, like having sex with a really drunk fat chick, tests the physical skills of both man and beast.