Founded ten years ago by Japan’s Tsuyoshi Tahara Tahara, the Office Chair Grand Prix featured 55 racing teams in this year’s edition.
Inspired by Le Mans and Formula One endurance racing, each 3-person team must lap the 200 meter course as many times as possible within two hours.
“The origin of this race came to my head when I saw a tricycle endurance race,” Tahara explained to Reuters. “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.”
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 kilometers to the south.