International Pancake Day Race
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The International Pancake Day Race is friendly annual competition held in the cities of Liberal, Kansas in the United States and Olney, Buckinghamshire, England in the United Kingdom. The race is the highlight event of the community festivities on Pancake Day in Liberal.
Origin
editThe tradition is said to have originated in 1445 when a housewife from Olney, Buckinghamshire, was so busy making pancakes that she forgot the time until she heard the church bells ringing for the service. She raced out of the house to church while still carrying her frying pan and pancake, tossing it to prevent it from burning. The pancake race at Olney traditionally has women contestants who carry a frying pan and race over a 415-yard course to the finishing line. The rules are strict: contestants must toss the pancake at the start and the finish, and wear a scarf and apron.[1]
History
editSince 1950 the people of Liberal, Kansas, and Olney have held the "International Pancake Day" race between the two towns. In 1950 LIberal residents saw a magazine picture of the Olney women racing each other to the church. Liberal Jaycee President R.J. Leete contacted the Rev. Ronald Collins, Vicar of St. Peter and St. Paul's Church in Olney, challenging their women to race against women of Liberal. Like in Olney, the traditional prize of the race is the "Kiss of Peace" from the verger (bellringer).[2] The two towns' competitors race along an agreed-upon measured course. The times of the two towns' competitors are compared to determine a winner overall. After the 2009 race, the 60th annual race, Liberal was leading with 34 wins to Olney's 25.[3] In the history of the race, there was a no contest declared in 1980 and a draw declared in the 2017 race.[4] In the 1980, only the Liberal leg of the race was conducted due to the race path being blocked. In 2017, a error with the timer for the race in Olney resulted in the draw being declared since there was a race conducted in both cities but no time was recorded for the Olney race.[4]
Race Course
editOlney
editThe Olney course begins on High Street at Market Place. The racers run south on High Street to Church Street where they make a left turn. The racers follow the course of Church Street through a curve ending at St. Peter and St. Paul's Church. Local schoolchildren also participate in separate races of a much shorter, 20 yard length.
Liberal
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The Liberal course begins on Kansas Avenue just south of Sixth Street in front of the Liberal Memorial Public Library. The racers run south on Kansas Avenue to Fifth Street where they make a right turn. The racers run one block west to Lincoln Avenue where the make a left turn. Once the racers turn onto Lincoln Avenue, they run south about a block and a half to the finish line. In Liberal, the finish line is located on Lincoln Avenue between the International Pancake Day Hall of Fame and the Liberal City Hall.
Winners
edit(#) Indicates race resulting in No Contest; (^) Indicates race resulting in a Draw; (Bold) Indicates a new record time
| Year | Liberal | Time | Olney | Time | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Billie Warden | 1:18.0 | Florence Callow | 1:10.4 |  United Kingdom
|
| 1951 | Emagene Bruce | 1:14.5 | Isabel Dix | 1:12.1 | United Kingdom
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| 1952 | Joan Zimmerman | 1:08.0 | Isabel Dix | 1:10.8 |  United States
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| 1953 | Binnie Dick | 1:09.0 | Isabel Dix | 1:07.2 | United Kingdom
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| 1954 | Binnie Dick | 1:07.7 | Joan Keech | 1:12.2 | United States
|
| 1955 | Binnie Dick | 1:05.1 | Doris Millward | 1:18.5 | United States
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| 1956 | Nina Jordan | 1:14.6 | Cicely Sparrow | 1:15.2 | United States
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| 1957 | Mary Collingwood | 1:16.0 | Sandra Sibley | 1:08.0 | United Kingdom
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| 1958 | Mary Collingwood | 1:12.0 | Sandra Sibley | 1:10.8 | United Kingdom
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| 1959 | Mary Collingwood | 1:08.0 | Bridget Lowrie | 1:15.8 | United States
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| 1960 | Ann E. Hueter | 1:15.5 | Carole Vorley | 1:10.0 | United Kingdom
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| 1961 | Carolyn McGlamery | 1:10.0 | Carole Vorley | 1:14.0 | United States
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| 1962 | Vickie Campbell | 1:14.7 | Carole Vorley | 1:05.2 | United Kingdom
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| 1963 | Mary Barrington | 1:05.6 | Linda Risby | 1:10.0 | United States
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| 1964 | Grace Kostreva | 1:10.1 | Bridget Lowrie | 1:06.4 | United Kingdom
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| 1965 | Grace Riggs | 1:07.6 | Jennifer Andrews | 1:08.0 | United States
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| 1966 | Rachel Crites | 1:04.5 | Janet Bunker | 1:05.1 | United States
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| 1967 | Lynda Fox | 1:07.3 | Janet Bunker | 1:03.0 | United Kingdom
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| 1968 | Janet Grant | 1:08.4 | Mary Dix | 1:08.0 | United Kingdom
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| 1969 | Raneta Pomeroy | 1:07.2 | Sylvia Winstanley | 1:08.2 | United States
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| 1970 | Kathleen West | 0:59.1 | Sylvia Winstanley | 1:11.0 | United States
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| 1971 | Barbara Rhinehart | 1:07.7 | Ruth Faulkner | 1:08.0 | United States
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| 1972 | Kathleen West | 0:59.5 | Ella Crouch | 1:07.0 | United States
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| 1973 | Pat Clark | 1:01.2 | Ella Crouch | 1:10.0 | United States
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| 1974 | Patricia Cheeks | 0:59.8 | Sallyann Faulkner | 1:01.0 | United States
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| 1975 | Sheila Turner | 0:58.5 | Sallyann Faulkner | 0:59.5 | United States
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| 1976 | Sheila Turner | 0:59.7 | Susan Hillier | 1:01.0 | United States
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| 1977 | Mary Bender | 1:01.9 | Sallyann Faulkner | 1:03.0 | United States
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| 1978 | Stephanie Wagner | 0:59.5 | June Statham | 1:04.0 | United States
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| 1979 | Barbara McWilliams | 1:03.4 | Julie Perks | 1:03.0 | United Kingdom
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| 1980 | Sheila Turner | --- | No Race | --- | United States#
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| 1981 | Gillian Brewer | 1:05.5 | Rosemary Ludgate | 1:02.0 | United Kingdom
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| 1982 | Barbara McCaffery | 1:05.3 | Rosemary Ludgate | 1:05.5 | United States
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| 1983 | Joyce Heeb | 1:11.6 | Linda Carey | 1:06.4 | United Kingdom
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| 1984 | Mona Canaday | 1:06.2 | Louise Fitzgerald | 1:04.1 | United Kingdom
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| 1985 | Marcia Streiff | 1:05.6 | Sally Swallow | 1:04.0 | United Kingdom
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| 1986 | Shelly Welch | 1:06.4 | Elizabeth Bartlett | 1:05.0 | United Kingdom
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| 1987 | Marcia Streiff | 1:10.1 | Elizabeth Bartlett | 1:05.0 | United Kingdom
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| 1988 | Marcia Streiff | 1:07.6 | Leslie Byrne | 1:02.9 | United Kingdom
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| 1989 | Donetta Schindler | 1:05.9 | Leslie Byrne | 1:02.0 | United Kingdom
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| 1990 | Carla Patterson | 1:07.5 | Alison Steele | 1:08.0 | United States
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| 1991 | Donetta Schindler | 1:08.9 | Alison Steele | 1:06.0 | United Kingdom
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| 1992 | Victoria M. VanSickle | 1:01.5 | Sue Jones | 1:02.5 | United States
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| 1993 | Mindy Amerin | 1:03.6 | Leslie Byrne | 1:07.0 | United States
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| 1994 | Lisa Biddle | 1:07.3 | Claire Whittle | 1:02.0 | United Kingdom
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| 1995 | Lou Ann Barker | 1:05.2 | Jackie Bowden | 1:04.5 | United Kingdom
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| 1996 | Christina R. Wilbers | 1:00.3 | Dawn Gilyot | 1:13.0 | United States
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| 1997 | Christina R. Wilbers | 0:58.6 | Avril Soman | 1:03.5 | United States
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| 1998 | Christy Riffel | 1:03.2 | Natalie Thomas | 0:58.5 | United Kingdom
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| 1999 | Lisa Spillman | 1:01.0 | Natalie Thomas | 1:06.0 | United States
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| 2000 | Lisa Spillman | 1:03.3 | Avril Soman | 1:05.0 | United States
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| 2001 | Lisa Spillman | 0:58.1 | Juliet Minter | 1:07.0 | United States
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| 2002 | Melissa Hurla | 1:00.7 | Juliet Minter | 1:04.0 | United States
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| 2003 | Cheri Bevis | 1:01.5 | Juliet Minter | 1:06.2 | United States
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| 2004 | Cheri Bevis | 1:00.0 | Andrea Rawlings | 1:03.8 | United States
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| 2005 | Jill Wetstein | 1:08.3 | Andrea Rawlings | 1:03.8 | |
| 2006 | Erin Loewen | 1:08.1 | Andrea Rawlings | 1:03.8 | United Kingdom
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| 2007 | Jessica Lash | 1:03.2 | Jane Hughes | 1:13.5 | United States
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| 2008 | Amanda Curtis | 1:03.3 | Amanda Brear | 1:09.9 | United States
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| 2009 | Tasha Gallegos | 0:57.5 | Jane Hughes | 1:02.0 | United States
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| 2010 | Cheri Bevis | 1:03.0 | Jane Hughes | 1:07.0 | United States
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| 2011 | Nicole Schowengerdt | 1:03.4 | Nicky Sallis | 1:12.0 | United States
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| 2012 | Karla Kruger | 1:08.6 | Devon Byrne | 0:58.5 | United Kingdom
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| 2013 | Caitlin Demarest | 1:04.3 | Devon Byrne | 0:56.0 | United Kingdom
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| 2014 | Summer Parsons | 1:03.5 | Devon Byrne | 0:55.6 | United Kingdom
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| 2015 | Hannah Belton | 1:09.0 | Emma Maitland | 1:15.9 | United States
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| 2016 | Summer Parsons | 1:02.6 | Lianne Fisher | 0:55.0 | United Kingdom
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| 2017 | Maggie Lapinski | 1:01.1 | Kaia Larkas | ^ |
See Also
editReferences
edit- ^ "BBC - Religions - Christianity: Lent". Retrieved 2017-03-01.
- ^ "pancake-day-usa". pancake-day-usa. Retrieved 2017-03-01.
- ^ "Liberal wins 60th Int'l Pancake race". UPI. Retrieved 2017-03-01.
- ^ a b Pierce, Robert. "Timing glitch leads to draw". www.leaderandtimes.com. Retrieved 2017-03-01.