A wife-carrying contest is actually a lot like it sounds. Men, carrying wives, race through an obstacle course that includes sand, water and fences. The prize for winning the race is the wife's weight in beer. It's really all very civilized.
The sport -- yes, it's a sport -- originated in Finland, and was most likely inspired by a duo of historical tales.
A 19th century legend has it that men stole wives from neighboring villages. In a second tale, an outlaw named Rosvo-Ronkainen made potential soldiers prove themselves in a race where they carried heavy sacks. Put the two tales together, and what do you get? Wife-carrying races.