WATCH: Grandparents’ race on horse track ends poorly for some

Emerald Downs, a horse racing track in Auburn, Wash., wanted to spice up the competition at their annual Grandparents Weekend, so they hosted their first, and possibly last, grandparents’ race. Twenty elderly participants lined up inside the starting gates for a 40-yard foot race, and things did not go as expected.

There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s debrief. First, we understand the use of the starting gates, but some of the participants tried to jump the gun, which did not work out in their favour. Our favourite runner in the video might be the man wearing the beret in starting gate six, who pulled his hamstring right away—it was bound to happen to somebody.

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The count of face plants, totalling two, cannot be ignored, but we think the grounds crew at Emerald Downs Race Track is to blame for those. How can you expect people not to trip on an uneven surface?

Another question we have for the organizers of Grandparents Weekend is how much notice the participants were given before the race. Many wore sandals or slip-ons, which are not the best attire for racing, especially on an uneven surface. They would have been better off with Crocs in sport mode.

We hosted our very first Grandparents race on our very first Grandparents Weekend.

Most likely the first time a sporting event celebrated Grandparents.

And now a video of the short race for Grandparents.

Racing next Saturday, Sunday and Monday (Fireworks Spectacular). pic.twitter.com/AajdRl6gSq

— Emerald Downs (@EmeraldDowns) June 26, 2023

According to local news, no serious injuries were reported. Sixty-eight-year-old Steve Butler of Everett, Wash., managed to stay on his feet, and was the first grandparent to cross the finish line, doing so in roughly eight seconds after the first two early leaders fell.

During Grandparents Weekend, those in attendance were granted free entry to the races, received complimentary prize drawings and were given this viral video to laugh about for the rest of their lives.