Intro:

The 42nd annual World Woolsack Racing Championships took place in Tetbury, Gloucestershire on Monday (25th May).

Script:

Competitors gathered in the village of Tetbury to endure a rather strange but physical challenge at the 42nd World Woolsack Racing Championships.

The annual event hosts a variety of races between the village's two historic pubs - The Crown, at the top, and the Royal Oak, at the bottom.

But there's a catch - all runners must carry a 60-pound sack of wool as they traverse the uphill course

Richard Batey takes part in the event, but didn't have too many kind words to explain it:

SOUNDBITE: (English) Richard Batey, competitor (on the race):

"It's not pleasant - vomit, sick, pain, agony, but it's only two minutes, so."

The men's individual championship involved 18 competitors, and former World Champion Nathan Barraclough outclassed his opponents yet again with a time of 52.63 seconds.

The RAF squadron leader proved that he was the most 'sheep-shape' in the field and can now proudly boast an eighth championship.

In the women's race, where competitors carry a 25-pound sack, Kim Ingleby from Bristol emerged victorious over only two other entrants with a time of one minute, 19.69 seconds.

In the headline men's relay event, teams of four ran in relay up and down the course and it was the team giving a new 'fleece of life' to a historic name that claimed victory.

Team Royal Oak, named after one of Tetbury's old pubs, raced to the win in an impressive three minutes, 16.75 seconds.