AN odd event held annually in Llanwrtyd Wells has been named as one of the top sporting oddities in the UK.

The Olympic Games have just concluded and 2024 is now officially the summer of sports, but beyond the major sporting events the UK hosts a variety of weird and wacky sporting pursuits.

Research from South Western Railway has unveiled the most unusual sporting events in the UK, with Llanwrtyd’s World Bog Snorkelling Championships ranking among the weirdest.

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The bog snorkelling spectacle is just one of a handful of weird and wacky events dreamed up by the mad scientists at Green Events that take place in Llanwrtyd annually.

It takes place during the August bank holiday weekend, with competitors from around the world gathering. Equipped with a snorkel and often dressed in fancy dress, participants can either tackle the demanding bog triathlon, which includes an 8-mile run, 12-mile mountain bike ride and a swim along a 60-yard bog trench, or you can opt for a shorter version. 

The event placed fourth in the top 9 UK sporting oddities and is in good company. Also included are the Great Knaresborough Bed Race in north Yorkshire, featuring teams in fancy dress pushing decorated beds along a 2.4-mile course, culminating in a 20-meter river crossing. 

Welly Wanging, in west Yorkshire, the UK’s Wife Carrying Championships in Dorking, Surrey, and the Cooper Hill Cheese Rolling in Gloucestershire rounds out the top five.