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In this bizarre contest, men carry their wives on their backs

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Ever dreamt of being carried around by your Prince Charming? 

Bet you never pictured it would be like this: Upside down with your legs around his neck, unglamorously thrown across his back like a sack of rice.

Welcome to the North American Wife Carrying Championship. (Yes, it's a real thing.)

Men have to complete a 254m obstacle course -  complete with log hurdles​, sand traps, water hazards - with their wives on their backs.

We're not sure who it's more uncomfortable for.

Carrying a person while navigating obstacles is tough. But hanging upside down while being bumped around over uneven terrain is no walk in the park either.

The annual event was held at 11am on Sunday at a ski resort in Maine, US.

Thirty-nine couples took part in the race, but it was unmarried couple Christina Arsenault and Jesse Wall (pictured below) who came out on top with the timing of 1 minute and 4.1 seconds.

Their prize? The wife's weight in beer, five times her weight in cash, and an entry into the World Championship held in Finland.

The pair, who have competed together four times previously but have never won, walked away with US$482.50 (S$620).

The contest doesn't require couples to be married, and the rules don't specify how the wives have to be carried.

But the Piggyback, Fireman's Carry and Princess Hold are somehow a lot less popular than the Estonian Carry (pictured below). Wonder why.

According to the event's website, the competition is based on 19th century Finnish legend Ronkainen the Robber.

Men who wanted to join his band had to compete through a difficult course with a heavy sack or a woman grabbed from a neighbouring village on their back.

We think this man's face best sums up the competition.

Source: Sunday River

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