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STORY: :: Ready, steady, slow… snails slug it out at world championships

:: July 6, 2024

:: Congham, Norfolk, UK

:: Nickolas Dickson, Snail master

“So they start inside the inner circle, the red circle, and it's the first one to cross the 13 and a half inch course and get a nose onto the outer black ring that wins the race.”

:: Simon Lilley, Winning snail owner

“He's got a rigorous training program and he loves his green leaves, so we feed him plenty of nice green leaves.”

"He paced himself in the heat. He was a little bit slower in the heat, but then he went for it in the final. And I think he just blasted out there. It was great."

Crowds gathered despite the rain to watch the finest gastropod athletes compete, with over 150 snails taking part in the championships, which have been running since the 1960s.

Jeff, the snail, was crowned victor, making it through the afternoon heats, gaining a spot in the subsequent grand final, and winning with a time of 4 minutes and 3 seconds.

Unfortunately, this time was short of the record set back in 1995 by Archie, the snail, who finished the course in an astonishing two minutes and twenty seconds.