The Underground World of Australian Cockroach Racing

© justinbaeder

It started in a parking garage.

Two men had been arguing all night about their roaches. Drunk and Australian, they decided that the only way to determine who truly possessed ‘the fastest roaches in Brisbane’ was to retreat to a local parking garage. To the cheering of inebriated fans, they held a race. No one really remembers who won.

This is how cockroach racing was born. Every year, in a glorious feat of Australian absurdity, roaches are now raced to the cheers of thousands. The roaches are actually introduced, as at a boxing match, until a bin of them is overturned in the middle of a circle. And at the signal, the box is raised, and these panicked pests make a break for it.

The way that Australians figure it, the cockroaches are just as much a part of their culture as kangaroos or koalas – maybe even more so. At least with roaches, everybody has one. And besides, a cockroach race is a good excuse to drink. It is, therefore, a brilliant idea.

Performance-enhancers like coffee, sugar and wine are banned. And anyone who argues with the rules is deemed simply, ‘Not very Australian at all.’