Hundreds of competitors have wheeled through the streets of a small Japanese city as part of the annual office chair grand prix.
Competitors in the bizarre sport swivelled around Hanyu on plastic chairs to see who could complete the most laps of the 200-metre course in a two-hour period.
The race was founded 10 years ago and is inspired by Formula One and Le Mans endurance racing.
Teams of three battle it out on ordinary office furniture, with 55 teams entering Sunday’s race.
Racers propelled the chair backwards, sending many tumbling to the ground.
The three team members rotated during the race Le Mans-style to try and stay fresh but, in the dense summer humidity, it proved a tough battle for even the most experienced racers.
The series, which started with a race in Kyoto in 2009, was the brainchild of Tsuyoshi Tahara and will feature at 10 different grand prix events across Japan this year.
He said: "The origin of this race came to my head when I saw a tricycle endurance race.
"Eventually I created the race which we can hold on a street, three persons per team for two hours of endurance.
"I wanted to create something no one has made before."
Mr Tahara's idea has proved surprisingly popular, with 55 teams entering the Hanyu Grand Prix alone and hailing from as far away as Wakayama, 600 kilometres to the south.
The winning team, Kitsugawa Unyu, come from Kyoto and had also travelled several hours with their chairs for the race.
Their reward was retaining the title they won last year and a prize of 90 kilograms of local rice, which the "drivers" struggled to pick up such was their fatigue.
The endurance test had taken its toll on the participants but spirits remained high as tired bodies staggered away from the event.
Satoru Taguchi, who formed a team with other fathers from his children's school, said: “I was tricked into doing it. My body is badly sore."
Mayu Negishi, who had just enough energy left to dance at the closing ceremony, said the support of the crowd had helped greatly.
The 18-year-old said: "So many people cheered for us every time we passed and came around the corners.
“We were very touched. They are our fans and supporters."
The next Isu Grand Prix takes place in Iwate next month.
