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Pancake Race History
A short history of pancakes in
Olney...
Olney's famous race is run every Shrove
Tuesday, featuring women who have
lived in the town for more than 6 months.
It dates back to 1445 and it is believed it
all began with a townswoman late for the Shriving service at the Olney parish
church.
The day is significant. Eating pancakes on Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Day,
is an ancient tradition. It is the day before Lent; the start of the traditional fast.
By giving up dairy products, people marked Jesus' 40 days and nights in the
wilderness. So on Shrove Tuesday, stores of dairy products were used up in
the pancake mix.
Racing to church - The Olney Pancake Race
For our Olney woman, it was also important to attend the Shriving service
before the start of Lent, a time to confess sins before Ash Wednesday. So the
story goes, hearing the church bells ring out for the service, our townswoman
fled her house fearful of being late. She ran the distance down the High Street
to make it to the parish church - still clutching her frying pan and wearing an
apron.
Now, the event is still commemorated hundreds of years later in the Olney
pancake race. The Olney residents (women) compete in traditional apron,
cap, and holding a fying pan with a real pancake. They must toss their
pancake once at the start (ouside The Bull Inn) and once at the finish by the
church.
http://www.olneyonline.com/Pancake-Race-History
The race starts at 11.55am. The Olney High Street is shut, and spectators line
the route from the Market Place all the way to Olney's St.Peter and St.Paul
church.
Transatlantic links
For the fastest Olney runner, there's a prize - but there are prizes too for the
oldest participant and the one who raises the most for charity. The runners
support many causes and sponsorship usually runs into a hundred pounds for
both Olney charities and those supporting our links in Africa.
The town of Liberal in the USA runs a race over the same distance on the
same day, and the best of Liberal compete with the best of Olney for the
fastest time.
When the Pancake Race is over the runners, officials, townspeople and
visitors, pour into the Parish Church of St. Peter & St. Paul for the great
Shriving Service when several of the famous Olney Hymns are sung.
Competitors place their frying pans around the font and occupy seats reserved
for them, and during the service, the presentation of the official prizes from
Olney and Liberal USA takes place. There is also an official prize-giving in the
evening.
http://www.olneyonline.com/Pancake-Race-History