NEWRY, Maine — Sam Brakeley and Steph Reighart competed against 30 couples from as far away as Florida, South Carolina and Colorado to win the 16th Annual North American Wife Carrying Championship at Sunday River Saturday.
Every year, up to 50 couples compete in the North American Wife-Carrying Championships along a 278-yard obstacle course up the grassy slopes of Sunday River for cash prizes and beer.
This was the first competition for Brakeley and Reighart, who hail from Lebanon, New Hampshire. They finished the course with a time of 1:05.30. They took home Reighart’s weight in beer (eight 12-packs of Shock Top and two 12-packs of Bud Light), as well as five times her weight in cash for a grand total of $750.60.
Mike Kress and Anna-Lena Schneider of Portland came in second place with a time of 1:10.70.
As the new North American Wife Carrying champions, Brakely and Reighart qualify to compete in the World Championship in Sonkajärvi, Finland, this July.