How to Play Wheelbarrow Race

By Jaques of London · Est. 1795 · Updated 2026-08-17

Wheelbarrow Race is a classic outdoor team game in which one player becomes the 'wheelbarrow' by walking on their hands while their partner lifts their legs and steers them forward. It demands coordination, trust, and a decent amount of upper-body effort from the person on the ground. Simple to explain in under a minute, it gets going immediately with no equipment whatsoever.

It is a staple of school sports days, garden parties, and family gatherings across the UK. The combination of physical effort, laughter, and genuine competitiveness makes it work for mixed-age groups. It plays best on a firm, flat lawn or a marked grass track.

A little history

The origins of Wheelbarrow Race are unclear. It belongs to a broad family of partner races and novelty relay events that became popular at school sports days and village fetes in Britain during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Its origins are unclear and no single inventor or first recorded instance is widely documented, but it appears consistently in British physical education traditions and outdoor party game collections throughout the twentieth century.

Setting up

1. Mark a clear start line and a finish line. Ten to twenty metres apart works well for most groups; shorter distances suit younger children.
2. Divide all players into pairs. Each pair needs one 'wheelbarrow' (the person who walks on their hands) and one 'driver' (the person who holds the legs).
3. If you have an odd number of players, one trio can compete with two drivers sharing one leg each, though this is non-standard. Better to adjust pairs or have one person act as starter and judge.
4. All pairs line up behind the start line. Give each pair a moment to get into position before the race begins.
5. Appoint one person as starter. A simple countdown of 'three, two, one, go' is sufficient.

How to play

1. The wheelbarrow player crouches and places both hands flat on the ground, shoulder-width apart, arms straight.
2. The driver stands behind the wheelbarrow player, reaches down, and lifts both of their partner's legs by the shins or ankles, holding them at approximately hip height. The wheelbarrow player's body should be roughly parallel to the ground.
3. On the starter's signal, all pairs begin moving toward the finish line. The wheelbarrow player walks forward on their hands while the driver walks or jogs behind, steering by holding the legs.
4. Both players must keep moving together. The wheelbarrow player's hands must remain in contact with the ground at all times during forward movement.
5. If the wheelbarrow player collapses, drops a hand, or falls, the pair must stop, re-establish the correct position, and then continue from that point. They may not advance while the position is broken.
6. The driver must not push or drag the wheelbarrow player along the ground. The forward movement must come from the wheelbarrow player walking on their hands.
7. The first pair to cross the finish line in the correct position, with both of the wheelbarrow player's hands on the ground as they cross, wins the race.
8. For tournament or relay formats, heats can be run and winners progress to a final.

Winning and scoring

The first pair to cross the finish line wins. Both players must be in the correct position as they cross: the wheelbarrow player's hands must be on the ground and the driver must still be holding the legs. A pair that crosses the line with the wheelbarrow player's knees or body on the ground, or with the driver having dropped the legs, does not count as having finished legally. In relay formats, the pair that completes all legs of the relay first wins.

The fine points

The most common dispute is whether a pair has 'finished' if the wheelbarrow player's hands leave the ground right at the line. The standard ruling is that the hands must be on the ground as the leading edge of the wheelbarrow player's body crosses the line. If the player lunges forward with hands off the ground, the finish does not count and the pair must re-establish position and cross correctly. The starter and judge should agree this ruling clearly before the race begins.

A second common issue is what counts as a fall requiring a stop. The rule is straightforward: if the wheelbarrow player's knees, chest, or any part of the body other than the hands touches the ground, the pair must stop and reset. They cannot continue at a crawl or shuffle to gain ground while in an incorrect position. Pairs who do not reset properly should be disqualified in competitive play, though in informal games a caution and a reset is usually sufficient.

How to win more often

• Wheelbarrow players should keep their arms slightly bent rather than locked straight. Locked arms tire faster and are more likely to buckle under load.
• Drivers should hold at the shins rather than the ankles. Shin holds give more control and let the wheelbarrow player move their legs naturally.
• Agree on a pace before the race starts. A slow, steady rhythm almost always beats a fast, chaotic sprint that ends in a collapse two metres from the line.
• Shorter players often make better wheelbarrows for younger pairs because their centre of gravity is lower and the driver can hold them more comfortably.
• Practise the starting position before the gun. A fumbled start where the driver cannot get a secure hold loses several seconds immediately.

Variations

Relay Wheelbarrow Race

Teams of four or more players split into pairs and run a relay course. The first pair races to a turning point, returns to the start, and tags the next pair. The team whose final pair crosses the finish line first wins. This format works well when you have larger groups and want the race to last longer.

Obstacle Course

Cones, hoops, or rope markers are placed along the track and pairs must navigate around or through them without knocking them over. Touching or displacing a marker earns a time penalty, typically five seconds added at the finish. This version rewards control over speed.

Reverse Wheelbarrow

The wheelbarrow player faces upward rather than downward, supporting themselves on their hands with their back to the ground. The driver holds the legs in the same way. Movement is slower and coordination is considerably harder, making this a good variant for older children and adults looking for an extra challenge.

Tournament Bracket

Pairs are seeded into a knock-out bracket. Two pairs race at a time and the winner advances. Losers are eliminated. The final is contested by the last two remaining pairs. This format works well for sports days where you want a clear champion and structured competition across a larger group.

Wheelbarrow Race: frequently asked questions