The World Wife-Carrying Championships - A leading contender for the title of Finland’s silliest sport, wife-carrying dates back to the early 19th century. The modern day world championships take place annually in July. Male competitors must negotiate a 253.5 metre obstacle course in the quickest possible with their better half clinging on for dear life the whole way.

Cheese Rolling - The steep slopes of Cooper’s Hill in the Cotswolds play host to the traditional English pursuit of Cheese Rolling. Intrepid competitors risk life and limb chasing a specially made Double Gloucester down the hill. Injuries are so commonplace that, in 2005, races had to be delayed until ambulances ferrying the casualties of the first few races had returned from a local hospital.
More on Hotlist – Cooper’s Hill Cheese Rolling
Nettle Eating World Championships - Even by Silly Season standards, this event is sure to leave a bad taste in the mouth. Hopefuls from Australia, America and Europe descended on the West Dorset village of Marshwood to battle to become the world’s best consumer of stinging nettles. The event started in 1986 following an argument between two local residents over who had the longest nettles in their garden. This year’s winner, Ed Brooks, chomped his way through an unassailable 48 feet of nettles to claim the title.

Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest - The crazy world of competitive eating is now a big money sport regularly televised on American channel ESPN. The July 4 Nathan’s Famous Contest is the International Federation of Competitive Eating’s flagship event. This year, after nearly a decade of domination, Takeru “Tsunami” Kobayashi was beaten by rival Joey “Jaws” Chestnut. Kobayshi demolished a personal best of 63 frankfurters in his allotted 12 minutes but “Jaws” claimed the crown with a new world record of 66.
More on Hotlist – Takeru Kobayashi’s appetite for destruction
The World’s Largest Tomato Fight - Held annually in the Spanish town of Bunol in late August, La Tomatina is a food fight festival where tens of thousands of people come from all over the world for a harmless fight aided only by one hundred metric tonnes of over-ripe tomatoes. Battle can only commence once a participant has retrieved a ceremonial ham from the top of a greasy pole.

Royal Shrovetide Football - Is this the world’s oldest sporting fixture? The annual Shrovetide football match pits the residents of two Derbyshire villages against each other in a 2,000 a side game playing across the 3 mile stretch of gardens, roads and fields that link the two villages. Although participants are allowed to kick, carry or throw it the ball, it generally moves through the town in a series of hugs – think of rugby scrum made up of hundreds of people.
More on Hotlist – the lowdown on Shrovetide football
Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling - An offshoot event from the better known World Bog Snorkelling Championships, competitors battle the clock and the elements as they strive to complete two full lengths of a dank and muddy 60-yard trench cut into the smelly Waen Rhydd peat bog in the quickest possible time. Oh, and to make it even more fiendish, all bicycle tires are filled with water and frames are weighted down with lead.
World Sauna Championships - Finnish steam sensation Timo Kaukonen proved he could stand the heat as he outlasted over one hundred fellow competitors to become world sauna champion. Kaukonen lasted 12 minutes 26 seconds braving temperatures of up to 110 degrees Celsius to become champion for the fourth time.
More on Hotlist – Steam spirit at the world sauna championships