Shropshire Star

Shrewsbury's Wacky Races wins top award

Shrewsbury's newest fundraising event has won a top national award.

Published
Iona Neilson with Sarah Belcher

The Wacky Races, which saw dozens of homemade go-karts hurtling down the track in the Quarry and which raised thousands of pounds for local charities, won the National Outdoor Events Association (NOEA) Awards for Best New Event in the UK.

Sarah Belcher Events brought Shrewsbury Wacky Races to The Quarry for the first time this year where thousands of people saw homemade unique creations in the form of soapboxes racing down a hill to see which team would be crowned the fastest racers in town.

The event attracted around 17,000 people and raised more than £20,000 for a variety of charities.

The award was presented by Iona Neilson and the category was judged by a panel of experts in the field of events.

Sarah Belcher, owner of Sarah Belcher Events, said: "I am incredibly humbled to have not only been nominated and shortlisted for this prestigious award but to actually win this is beyond anything I expected.

Iona Neilson with Sarah Belcher

"Thank you to everyone who have helped put Shropshire on the map by supporting Shrewsbury Wacky Races. I can’t wait to do it all again next year with lots more fun planned.

"Also thank you to all the teams and sponsors as the event wouldn’t have been so successful without them.

"The team will also be taking this crazy event to other regions in 2020 giving more people the opportunity to see what we have to offer."

Tom Clements, president of NOEA, said: “Once again, the awards have picked out some of the biggest names, and some of the hidden gems, that this great industry seems to bring up every single year.

"It was a brilliant night, and every winner should be justly proud of their achievements.”

Susan Tanner, CEO of NOEA, said: “At NOEA we represent the very best events companies and individuals who make these awards so well respected internationally. The day conference was an example of just how far we’ve come as an industry in taking on big subjects and coming up with sensible solutions. This was only supported by the quality of the winners in the evening.”

Shrewsbury Wacky Races returns on May 24, 2020, in The Quarry, and is once again sponsored by Hatfields Land Rover.

The event is free entry and there is still time for teams to enter to be part of the race.