Loading race
A loading race or medley is an event in World's Strongest Man and other similar strongman competitions which requires competitors to carry, drag and load several heavy and irregular objects onto a platform over a course usually ranging from 10 to 30 meters.[1] The competitor to move and load all objects in the fastest time is the winner.[2]
Implements
Some of the frequently used objects for these events are anchors and chains, anvils, sandbags, sacks, safes, beer kegs, wine barrels and natural stones.[3] They usually weigh between 100 kg (220 lb) to 150 kg (331 lb) but occasionally can be heavier than that.
Physical demands
Contrary to popular belief, the weight of the objects is not the defining factor in these events. The overall shape of the objects, their dimensions, and the terrain (which can range from rubble to sand to snow) makes these events challenging and requires physical strength, athleticism and speed equally[4] and also different skills are required for different objects since they are shaped very irregular.
Notable Strongmen
- Below table summarizes the most successful Loading Medley winners in international Strongman competitions.[5]
- No. of total career Loading Medley's against the No. of wins (Entry criteria: A minimum of 3 wins and a >10% winning ratio, open category).
- With 2 wins per every 3 Loading Medley's he undertook, Iceland's Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson is the Greatest Loading Medley champion in Strongman history.
| # | Name | Nationality | Events | Wins | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson |  Iceland
|
21 | 14 | 66.7% |
| 2 | JF Caron |  Canada
|
21 | 8 | 38.1% |
| 3 | Vytautas Lalas |  Lithuania
|
8 | 6 | 75.0% |
| 4 | Aivars Šmaukstelis |  Latvia
|
17 | 6 | 35.3% |
| 5 | Žydrūnas Savickas | Lithuania
|
27 | 6 | 22.2% |
| 6 | Dainis Zageris | Latvia
|
32 | 6 | 18.8% |
| 7 | Mike Burke |  United States
|
8 | 5 | 62.5% |
| 8 | Matjaz Belsak |  Slovenia
|
13 | 5 | 38.5% |
| 9 | Marius Lalas | Lithuania
|
5 | 4 | 80.0% |
| 10 | Tom Stoltman |  United Kingdom
|
6 | 4 | 66.7% |
| 11 | Jón Páll Sigmarsson | Iceland
|
8 | 4 | 50.0% |
| 11 | Janne Virtanen |  Finland
|
8 | 4 | 50.0% |
| 11 | Derek Poundstone | United States
|
8 | 4 | 50.0% |
| 14 | Magnús Ver Magnússon | Iceland
|
11 | 4 | 36.4% |
| 15 | Travis Ortmayer | United States
|
13 | 4 | 30.8% |
| 16 | Magnus Samuelsson |  Sweden
|
17 | 4 | 23.5% |
| 17 | Martins Licis | United States
|
5 | 3 | 60.0% |
| 18 | Oleksii Novikov |  Ukraine
|
7 | 3 | 42.9% |
| 19 | Brian Shaw | United States
|
21 | 3 | 14.3% |
| 20 | Ervin Katona |  Serbia
|
25 | 3 | 12.0% |
- As at 8 July 2023
References
- ^ "Loading Medley". strongman.org. 2018-02-02. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
- ^ "Loading Race". theworldsstrongestman.com. 2020-12-31. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
- ^ "Loading Race". theworldsstrongestman.com. 2020-12-31. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
- ^ "How to Prepare for a Strongman Death Medley". Matt Mills. 2019-05-14. Retrieved 2022-05-26.
- ^ "Most Successful Athletes: Loading Race". Strongman Archives. April 3, 2022. Retrieved May 26, 2022.