On the eve of the Lenten Season, women in matching checkered aprons, headscarves, and running shoes participated in the centuries-old pancake race in Olney, England. Before stepping to the starting line, they rolled their shoulders in unison, raised up on their toes, and did squats while holding frying pans.
At the word “Go,” they sprinted through the streets, trying not to drop their pancakes as they traced the path originally taken in 1445 by a harried housewife, who raced off with her skillet after hearing the church bells signaling the Shrove Tuesday service.
The 2024 champion was 44-year-old Kaisa Larkas, a mother of four who won with a time of 63.37 seconds. “It’s a horrible distance,” said Kaisa, “You just have to go flat out and then hope that you’re not gonna fall over.”
The race is held the day before the start of Lent, the Christian period of repentance and sacrifice before Easter. Celebrated as Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday in other parts of the world, the name Shrove Tuesday derives from the English word meaning to seek forgiveness or be granted absolution.
story source: Run The Day