Huntingdon Town Council has changed the rules and the venue of the Town's annual pancake race on health and safety grounds. One of the key changes in the race is that nobody is allowed to run! The decision comes after a risk assessment of the event was carried out, but the Council insists that the new rule has nothing to do with injuries sustained by two councillors in previous races.
The entrants will now compete in a series of walking races at a new event called a "pancake flipathon" which is more about flipping and style than racing.
The need to remove the speed element is partly to do with the change in course. The new venue - the market place - involves corners, whereas the old course was a simple straight dash to the finish line.
Town clerk Karen Cameron said, "We looked at the arrangements for this year and after carrying out risk assessments we wanted to make changes to get the most out of the event. Safety is important and we decided not to have people running so they don't fall over. We still think it will be as enjoyable as possible."
So, instead of a race, entrants must flip a pancake in a pan with "as much style as possible" according to promotional material. Then, the aim is to cross the finish line with the pancake in one piece.
