#9: Totnes Orange Races
Sometimes, specific unfortunate incidents inspire a great deal, but you hardly put your money into a competition. The people of a small English town gather annually to chase oranges down a hill in honor of a historical accident. The story goes that once Sir Francis Drake visited the market town in 1508 when he crashed with a delivery person, which triggered an orange free fall, the fruit pieces were seen rolling down the market. The poor delivery boy had to scramble after the oranges to gather them back, hence the birth of a weird and strange race.
Contestants line up at the top of the Market Square and then roll or even toss oranges down the street. You then have to chase them immediately to keep the motion. Since you cannot carry the orange, your only ways are hurling, kicking, and rolling towards the finish line. The first person across the line with an intact fruit wins.