Strict rules to participate in the first-ever Sperm Racing World Cup where winner will take home $100,000

Olivia Burke
2026-03-13T15:33:57.069Z
News

Applications are now open, lads

If you're a lad who reckons that your swimmers are strong enough to compete on the world stage, the 2026 Sperm Racing World Cup might be for you.

Those who are confident that their sperm is speedier than the rest can now apply to compete in the unorthodox event - which its organisers have compared to Formula One, 'but at the atomic level'.

Getting the gold in this competition might not fill your family with as much pride as winning one at the Olympics, but it could land you in the history books and leave you $100,000 better off.

That's because this is the first-ever Sperm Racing World Cup, believe it or not.

The bizarre 'science-based competitive sport' first burst onto the scene last year, when two US students went head-to-head to see whose was the fastest.

Now, organisers are opening the tournament up to international competitors, so blokes from all corners of the globe will have a chance to show the world how speedy their mini mes are.

Sperm Racing first made its debut last year and hosted a competition championship in Los Angeles (PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Eric Zhu, Nick Small, Shane Fan and Garret Niconienko say they want to 'turn health into competition', although they acknowledge the concept of the Sperm Racing World Cup 'seems like a meme' to most.

The foursome want to shine a spotlight on the fact that 'male fertility has quietly decreased over 60% in the last 50 years', according to their manifesto.

Explaining their motivations, it states: "Sperm racing isn't just a joke. It's not just some viral idea for the internet to laugh at. It's something much bigger. Male fertility is declining.

"It's happening quietly, steadily, and nobody's really talking about it. And sperm motility - how fast your sperm moves - turns out to be a massive factor in fertility.

"It's measurable, trackable - and just like running a race or lifting a weight, it's something you can actually improve. But no one's turned it into something people care about. So we did." Fair dos, fellas.

So although the idea of the sperm of men from 128 countries racing round a tiny track is comical, those behind the Sperm Racing World Cup say it's all actually quite serious.

Men from 128 different countries will submit their sperm and hope it's the speediest (YouTube/Sperm Racing)

A quick look at the rule book will tell you as much too, as there is a strict criteria that 'athletes' must meet to get selected to compete for the $100,000 prize pool.

The men who will are chosen to represent their country at the Sperm Racing World Cup have to advance through 'qualifiers, matchups, and tournament rounds that are broadcast and shared publicly'.

Both selection and advancement for this strange competition is 'based on eligibility, performance, availability, and competitive structure', organisers say.

After assessing the applicants, there will be qualifier rounds, followed by head-to-head matchups, tournament eliminations and eventually, a final.

To apply, you have to be 18 or older, free of sexually transmitted diseases, be able to provide biological samples in compliance with competition regulations and available to appear in recorded content and competition coverage.

Those who are involved with Sperm Racing operations in any way, are attempting to manipulate results, selection, or eligibility or provide false or misleading information are forbidden from taking part.

In order to represent a country at the Sperm Racing World Cup, you or your parents have to have been born there. Alternatively, you can fly the flag for a nation at the competition if you hold residency or citizenship there, or 'have 25 percent ancestry' from the place.

In a video shared back in December, Eric Zhu explained how the whole sperm racing thing works and detailed how his team 'take inspiration from real race tracks and reimagine them on a microscopic scale'.

"Each racer provides a biological sample of their sperm which we process through advanced lab techniques such as incubation, sperm washing, pipetting, and through a centrifuge," he said.

"These steps isolate and prepare the most viable cells for racing. Under the microscope, we pipet the cells into a custom racetrack.

"Inside, a controlled microcurrent flows through the channel, creating resistance, pushing each racer to its limits. But raw microscope data doesn't look entertaining.

"So, we built our own computer vision system to track every cell, every frame, every overtake, converting it into a 3D render designed for the viewer experience. And that is what you, the audience, get to see."

Zhu and his team hope to make the 'world's smallest sport' as entertaining as other sporting spectacles and promise to provide 'press conferences, weigh ins and thrilling commentary' for fans.

I guess this must be the only scenario where it's a triumph for a guy to finish first, eh?