Two players, one running on their hands while the other holds their legs like the handles of a wheelbarrow, racing a straight line and almost certainly collapsing in laughter at least once. The Wheelbarrow Dash is a classic paired race that genuinely requires teamwork to pull off.
What you need
A marked race line, roughly 10 metres for younger children, longer for older ones. Several teams of around five pairs each.
How to play
In each pair, one player gets down on their hands, and the second player picks up their legs, holding them steady like the handles of a wheelbarrow. The “wheelbarrow” player walks forward on their hands while their partner walks behind, holding their legs, and the pair races the length of the course together. Order of finish scores points for the team, descending from first place down.
Safety notes
This needs a soft, flat, debris-free surface, since the wheelbarrow player is putting real weight through their hands and wrists. It is also genuinely demanding, so this works best with older, physically confident children rather than very young ones, and swapping roles partway through a tournament gives both players a turn at each position.
Why it works
Unlike a solo sprint, this race genuinely cannot be won by one strong runner alone, both players have to move in sync, which makes it a good fit for a tournament built around teamwork rather than individual speed.
