Spanish village where people go wild for tossing their ham

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No good at football or rugby?

Perhaps you might be do better in this sport, which judges how well players can toss their meat.

Every August there is a contest in eastern Spain, which looks at just that.

You missed it for this year, but could get practising in time for 2026.

Footage from this year’s event shows entrants hurling a large ham into a marked area, to see how far they can get it.

This tradition has been going for decades, and is now a major tourist attraction for the village.

Carrascosa de la Sierra is usually home to just 70 residents, but the population swells to 400 people eager to see the festivities each summer.

Known as the Campeonato de Lanzamiento de Pernil (Ham Throwing Championship), players chuck the jamón as far as they can, much like in the Olympics sport of hammer throwing, but not as globally recognised.

 Meat your match! Spanish village hosts bizarre ham-throwing contest A Spanish village hosts a bizarre annual contest to see who can throw a ham the farthest. Footage from this year?s event shows hopefuls hurling hefty hams into a marked area reminiscent of a hammer throw landing sector. The quirky competition takes place every August in Carrascosa de la Sierra. Nestled in Spain?s Soria province, the village is home to just 70 year-round residents ? but the population balloons to over 400 during the festivities. Known as the Campeonato de Lanzamiento de Pernil - Ham Throwing Championship - the tradition began decades ago as a joke among friends at the local bar. This year, it went viral thanks to 24-year-old Tal?a Benedicto, who has roots in the village and shared a montage of the event on social media. The thrown ham isn?t wasted ? it?s wrapped in tape and bubble wrap before being launched and serves as a trophy for whoever throws it the farthest. Tradition dictates, however, that the winner shares it with locals and visitors alike. This year?s men?s champion was Sergio Garc?a, whose throw reached 20.55 metres, as reported by What's The Jam. There are also categories for women, who throw shoulder hams; children, who launch salchich?n; and even toddlers, who toss mini fuet. What began in 1997 as a quirky idea to liven up the August festivities has become the village?s defining symbol. ?The locals are really excited because we?ve put Carrascosa on the map,? Tal?a told local media. Carrascosa isn?t alone in Spain?s oddball festival scene. In Carcabuey, C?rdoba province, there?s an olive-pit spitting championship. In the Galicia region, turnip tops fly through the air in a dedicated contest. The Navarra region hosts espadrille-flinging events. And in the Castile and Le?n region, contestants toss hoes in pursuit of glory. ENDS EDITOR?S NOTE: Quotations have been translated to English. We would advise obscuring the faces of the children in the crowd shown in the video prior to publication. Grabs have been provided with blurring for your reference. Video Usage Licence: (NON-EXCLUSIVE) We have obtained a non-exclusive licence from the copyright holder. A copy of the licence is available on request. Video Restrictions: None.
Ham on high: the leg flies through the air (Picture: Jam Press/@talii__128)

The bizarre sport began as a joke among friends at a local bar in 1997, but is still going decades later.

To stop the jam from going to waste, it is wrapped in tape and bubble wrap before being launched, and players say that if it does have any impact, it will make it more tender.

Whoever wins gets the meat as a trophy, but the done thing is to share it around with locals and visitors alike, so that everyone gets a bit of ham.

 Meat your match! Spanish village hosts bizarre ham-throwing contest A Spanish village hosts a bizarre annual contest to see who can throw a ham the farthest. Footage from this year?s event shows hopefuls hurling hefty hams into a marked area reminiscent of a hammer throw landing sector. The quirky competition takes place every August in Carrascosa de la Sierra. Nestled in Spain?s Soria province, the village is home to just 70 year-round residents ? but the population balloons to over 400 during the festivities. Known as the Campeonato de Lanzamiento de Pernil - Ham Throwing Championship - the tradition began decades ago as a joke among friends at the local bar. This year, it went viral thanks to 24-year-old Tal?a Benedicto, who has roots in the village and shared a montage of the event on social media. The thrown ham isn?t wasted ? it?s wrapped in tape and bubble wrap before being launched and serves as a trophy for whoever throws it the farthest. Tradition dictates, however, that the winner shares it with locals and visitors alike. This year?s men?s champion was Sergio Garc?a, whose throw reached 20.55 metres, as reported by What's The Jam. There are also categories for women, who throw shoulder hams; children, who launch salchich?n; and even toddlers, who toss mini fuet. What began in 1997 as a quirky idea to liven up the August festivities has become the village?s defining symbol. ?The locals are really excited because we?ve put Carrascosa on the map,? Tal?a told local media. Carrascosa isn?t alone in Spain?s oddball festival scene. In Carcabuey, C?rdoba province, there?s an olive-pit spitting championship. In the Galicia region, turnip tops fly through the air in a dedicated contest. The Navarra region hosts espadrille-flinging events. And in the Castile and Le?n region, contestants toss hoes in pursuit of glory. ENDS EDITOR?S NOTE: Quotations have been translated to English. We would advise obscuring the faces of the children in the crowd shown in the video prior to publication. Grabs have been provided with blurring for your reference. Video Usage Licence: (NON-EXCLUSIVE) We have obtained a non-exclusive licence from the copyright holder. A copy of the licence is available on request. Video Restrictions: None.
A man prepares for his turn ham tossing as a crowd watches (Picture: Jam Press/@talii__128)

There are also categories for women, who throw shoulder hams; children, who launch salchichón; and even toddlers, who toss mini fuet.

This year’s men’s champion was Sergio García, whose throw reached 20.55 metres.

Usually more niche than Spain’s famous La Tomatina festival, this year the ham throw went viral thanks to Talía Benedicto, 24, who has roots in the village and shared a montage of the event on TikTok.

‘The locals are really excited because we’ve put Carrascosa on the map’ she told local media.

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