Virginia couple wins North American Wife Carrying Championship

Couple finished second in 2016

.A contestant carries his partner during the North American Wife Carrying Championships (Darren McCollester/Getty Images)

A Virginia couple took home the grand prize--$630 and 12 cases of beer--after competing in the North American Wife Carrying Championship in Maine Saturday.

ABC News reports Jake and Kirsten Barney finished second in the race last year, trudging through water and jumping over logs, all the while Jake carrying Kirsten on his back.

Recommended Videos



The competition, which is based on the Finnish legend of "Ronhainen the Robber," features 60 couples who take home the wife's weight in beer, and five times her weight in cash.

Â