Events & Rules in the Highland Games

Women’s Highland Games competitions feature the same traditional events as the men’s, with standardized weights for female competitors. Here’s a breakdown of the key events and their rules:

Stone Put

Description:
Similar to the shot put in track and field, athletes throw a heavy stone for distance. There are two types of stone put:

• Braemar Stone: A heavier stone (13-18 lbs for women) thrown from a standing position.
• Open Stone: A lighter stone (8-12 lbs for women) thrown with a full approach, including a spin or glide technique.

Rules:

• The stone must be thrown from within a designated throwing area.
• The athlete must keep one foot inside the throwing area until the stone lands.
• The longest valid throw wins.

Heavy Hammer Throw

Description:
Athletes throw a heavy hammer (16 lbs for women) as far as possible over their shoulder. Unlike Olympic hammer throw, the Highland Games hammer has a rigid handle.

Rules:

• The athlete stands in a fixed position and swings the hammer around their head before releasing it.
• The throw is measured from the front of the throwing area to the point where the hammer first lands.
• The longest throw wins.

Light Hammer Throw

Description:
The same as the heavy hammer but with a lighter hammer (12 lbs).

Heavy Weight for Distance

Description:
Athletes throw a weighted implement (28 lbs for open women, lightweights and masters ladies throw different weights depending on class) as far as possible using one hand.

Rules:

• The athlete must throw from within a marked throwing area.
• The weight must land within the sector lines to count as a valid throw.
• The longest valid throw wins.

Light Weight for Distance

Description:
The same as the Heavy weight for distance but with a lighter weight (14lbs).

Weight Over Bar (Weight for Height)

Description:
Athletes throw a weighted implement (28 lbs for women, lightweights and masters ladies throw different weights depending on class) over a horizontal bar.

Rules:

• Each athlete has three attempts to clear the bar at each height.
• If they succeed, they move on to the next height.
• The highest successful throw wins.

Sheaf Toss

Description:
Athletes use a pitchfork to throw a weighted burlap sack (10-12 lbs for women) over a high bar.

Rules:

• The sheaf must go cleanly over the bar
• The bar height increases with each round, and athletes have three attempts per height.
• The highest successful toss wins.

Cultural and Fun Events

Some Highland Games include additional events like tug-of-war, kilted mile races, or novelty challenges.

With these traditional events, women’s Highland Games showcase incredible strength, skill, and athleticism, contributing to the sport’s growing popularity worldwide.