Back in 1980 a couple of Welshmen were sitting in a bar. One said to the other, “Over a significant distance across country terrain, a man was equal to any horse.” The other guy disputed this claim and a local landlord overheard their discussion an organized the first Man Vs Horse Marathon. And then I’m guessing they did more drinking. While not technically a marathon (this race is only 22 miles) it is over much more treacherous terrain. For the first 25 years, the horses won each race by an average of 20 minutes. Then, in 2004 some guy named Huw Lobb was the first to come in first (edging out the equine by 2 minutes.) And then man won again in 2007, making this a full-blown rivalry.
Get the full history of this event here.