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The world’s most unusual competition: grave diggers race for speed

From Clarín · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

In-depth From a news agency Outcome reported
  • Thirty-eight competitors formed 19 teams for a grave-digging competition at a public cemetery in Nyergesújfalu, northern Hungary.
  • The winning team dug a grave measuring 1.6 metres deep, 2 metres long and 0.8 metres wide in 1 hour and 21 minutes.
  • The winners shared a prize of 200,000 Hungarian forints, about $640.

Thirty-eight competitors picked up picks and shovels at a Hungarian cemetery on Saturday for a contest to see who could dig a grave fastest and with the most skill.

The Hungarian Association of Cemetery Maintainers and Operators organized the event to showcase the work of grave digging and challenge taboos surrounding death. At the public cemetery in Nyergesújfalu, in northern Hungary, 19 two-person teams faced soil hardened by the summer heat.

Speed is the main thing here, not beauty.

· Róbert NagyNagy described the priority in the competition after winning with teammate László Kiss.

The winning pair, Róbert Nagy and László Kiss, completed their grave in 1 hour and 21 minutes. The grave had to meet exact competition specifications: 1.6 metres deep, 2 metres long and 0.8 metres wide.

“Speed is the main thing here, not beauty,” Nagy said. He added that funeral work requires careful attention to precise dimensions and a neatly carved grave. The winners shared a cash prize of 200,000 Hungarian forints, worth about $640.

When you have to dig a grave for a funeral, you must be very careful with the exact dimensions and make sure it is beautifully carved.

· Róbert NagyNagy explained the precision required in professional grave digging.
About this summary

Originally published by Clarín in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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