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If you were hoping to get a bit of Christmas shopping done on Saturday then for once Covent
Garden in London probably wasn't the place to go.
For the 32nd year in a row the square in the capital was turned into a ho ho ho-rrific
obstacle course for the annual Christmas Pudding Race.
The event is aimed at racing money for Cancer Research UK, with six runners competing in
a relay style race while carrying a tray with a Christmas pudding perched upon it.
Event organiser Stephen Melzack explains how the early stocking filler for the general
public came about.
"The history is that about 32 years ago we wanted to find something that would raise
awareness and be a bit novel for Cancer Research and we came up with a Christmas pudding race,
which is basically people running around Covent Garden market with a Christmas pudding on
trays - held shoulder-high, hopefully. In fancy dress and running over various obstacles,
like the 'it's a knockout/Jeux Sans Frontieres type obstacles - all raising money for the
cause."
And so onto this year's edition, which turned out to be a cracker as usual.
There were plenty of thrills and spills but only one team could claim the item on everyone's
Christmas list - the coveted Christmas Pudding trophy.
This year's winners were 'Jammy's Pups', who successfully defended the title they won last
year as they confirmed their status as the cream of the pudding racing crop.