Ponteland Wheelbarrow Race over the years in pictures

Daniel Herlbauer and Graham Crammond took the top spot in 2016 (Image: NQ)The Ponteland Wheelbarrow Race is believed to date back to the early 1300s, when the Lord of the Manor encouraged residents to scour the countryside to survive a particularly harsh winter.

Tynedale Hospice at Home communications and marketing officer Nicci Westgarth and community fundraising officer Cathy Bates ready for the wheelbarrow race in 2018 (Image: Newsquest)The mile-long, circular course starts and ends at the Blackbird pub and sees money raised for local charities St Oswald’s Hospice and Tynedale Hospice at Home, which provide care and support to people with life-limiting illnesses and their families.

Dave Taylor and Clare Richardson, from St Oswald’s Hospice (Image: True Storey Photography)Adult teams pay £10 to enter, while children’s teams pay £5, and spectators are encouraged to make a donation.

For the first time in its history, the event featured a women’s race in 2016 (Image: Newsquest)This year, the race has made history in its traditional event - as it will now have a new category called the 'inclusion race'.The Wheelbarrow Race (Image: Sorted PR)In the inclusion race, the rules are slightly more relaxed and if the challenge becomes too much, the contestants can run/walk together pushing the wheelbarrow.

The men’s race at the New Year’s Day 2018 Ponteland wheelbarrow race (Image: June Atkinson, Ponteland Photographic Society))There is also a slightly shorter distance available for those who need it.

The Ponteland Wheelbarrow Race in 2017 (Image: NQ)