Racing numbers are painted on the shells or small stickers or tags are placed on them to distinguish each competitor.
[5] The 2008 World Championships was won by Heikki Kovalainen, a snail named after the Formula One racing driver, in a time of three minutes, two seconds.
[1][5] The following year Guinness featured a snail race in their advertisement Bet on Black as part of their "Good things come to those who wait" campaign.
[7] The advert won the silver award at the Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival and was self-parodied for their "Extra Cold" campaign several years later.
[8] The "Grand Championship Snail Race" began in Cambridgeshire in 1992 in the village of Snailwell as part of its annual summer fête.