The unusual sport

In Wales there's a famous race called the Man Versus Horse Marathon. A cross country course is laid out, and human competitors pit their stamina against that of a posse of chosen horses. The course is 22 miles long with many natural obstacles to overcome. The steep slopes are a great test of the endurance of both man and beast, and the tricky forestry, which a man may dart through but which a horse can only travel around, is equally difficult terrain. The ultimate aim is to run the course and beat the first horse.

In china, Dragon boat racing is a very old sport.  Dragon boat races are usually held during the dragon boat festival that opens with a parade of teams and dragon dancers.  A typical dragon boat team consists of 20 members: 18 paddlers, one member, who seating at the bow pounds out a rhythm on a drum so the paddlers can stay in sync, and another one member who sits at the back and steer with a rudder. Big boats may have as many a 100 paddlers. During the race flags are waved with great excitement and gongs and drums are banged making a big ruckus. Different teams have different paddling styles. Some hit the water aggressively. Other raise their paddles out of the water with a twist. Others still are encouraged to breath in unison and to pull and relax as they stroke.Ideally the best paddlers are in the front and they keep a unified rhythm the others can follow. The paddlers in the middle are the strongest and have the longest strokes. Those in the back are the most aggressive.