6 May 2020

The 2020 Quarantine Games

Movember’s guide to the ultimate ‘sporting’ event in lockdown
Mental Health
4 MIN READ
 

The Tokyo Olympic Games might not be happening this year, but the inaugural Quarantine Games will satisfy your thirst for competition. 
 
The historic decision to postpone the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games to the summer of 2021 has starved sporting fans of the world’s biggest competition for another year.
 
And with the large majority of sporting codes on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was little to get those competitive juices flowing – until now.
 
Movember’s Quarantine Games is here to help fill the sport-shaped hole in our lives, and the leading men’s health charity wants you to get involved.
 
Anyone can take part and everything you need can be found lying around the house. So recruit some mates, stretch out those muscles and take your starting positions.
 
Share your attempts on social media with the hashtag #Movember and see how you match up with the rest of the Movember community. Who knows, you might be a Quarantine Games Champion in the making.
 
Here’s everything you need to know about the 2020 Quarantine Games:

Uniform

You don’t need sporting kit for these events, but you will need to channel your inner Mo legend.

Use what you’ve got lying around the house to dress up as an iconic moustachioed character from years gone by. Got some white jeans and a vest in the wardrobe? Freddie Mercury it is then. Looking for an excuse to wear that old pair of dungarees? Super Mario is a bit of you. That spare burgundy suit gathering some dust? Crack it out and practice your best Anchorman impression. Of course, don’t forget the Mo. And if you haven’t got a real top lip tickler, get creative!
 

Event 1: Kitchen Golf

Test your accuracy with a bag of raw pasta and some empty tins.

Line up five tins on a table or benchtop and label them with 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 points. Give yourself a one metre gap between the first jar (5 points) and add at least 50cm between each ascending jar until the 100 points is three metres from you. You’ve got two minutes to get as many points as possible by landing pasta pieces in the empty tins.
 

Event 2: The Jar Open

Arguably the ultimate test of true strength, the jar open has been a thorn in the kitchen-dwelling man’s side for decades.

Take three unopened jars of varying contents and line them up. We’re talking pickles, peanut butter, jam, those old hotdogs you know you shouldn’t eat, but you’re probably still going to eat… anything you can get your hands on which still has its seal intact. Get someone to time how long it takes you to crack open all three and post your time online. And remember, this is a raw power event – no tea towels allowed!
 

Event 3: The Cutlery Sort

This event combines speed and accuracy – and helps you sort the washing up in the process.

You’ll need five spoons, five forks, five knives and a regulation cutlery tray with compartments. Dump them all onto the kitchen bench and mix them up.You’re then racing against the clock to get all the cutlery divided into three separate compartments, with all forks, knives and spoons organised together. Fastest time wins.
 

Event 4: Stair Darts

One for those who have access to a staircase.

Take three pairs of socks and ball them up – these are your throwing darts. Then the game is simple: Standing two metres back from the base of the staircase, you’ve got three throws to land ‘darts’ on the stairs to get the highest score possible. Points are added depending on the number of the stair. E.g. first stair = 1 point, second stair = 2 points etc. Challenge your housemate to a few rounds or link up with a friend online who can play against you from their house.
 

Event 5: Egg and Spoon Steeplechase

The final hurdle.

You’ll need a regular wooden spoon, a raw egg (preferably unbroken) and a sofa (pulled to the centre of your living room). The race starts with 10 bodyweight squats as you balance your egg on the spoon. You’ll then complete one full walking lap of your living room, followed by the same lap walking backwards carrying your egg and spoon. To cross the finish line, you must step onto one side of your sofa, walk across the cushions and make it to the floor on the other side, all the while keeping your egg balanced and safe.
If at any time you drop the egg, you’re eliminated. Once again, fastest time wins.

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THE 2020 QUARANTINE GAMES