Wheeling yourself around on the humble swivel chair sounds like just another day at the office, but in Japan, an annual office chair "grand prix" is no laughing matter.

In its sixth year now, the "Isu-1 Grand Prix" (Isu is Japanese for chair) was held over the weekend at Kyotanabe city in Kyoto, Japan.

Image: TREVOR WILLIAMS/GETTY IMAGES

Image: TREVOR WILLIAMS/GETTY IMAGES

Battling for position. Image: TREVOR WILLIAMS/GETTY IMAGES

The two-hour endurance event sees competitors zipping round and round a course of roughly 180 metres, clad in helmets and elbow guards and pushing their chairs to the limit over the grueling race.



As the Asahi Shimbun details, wearing protective gear is necessary because chairs often break during the race, sending competitors tumbling onto the concrete.

The office chairs are ridden to breaking point. Image: trevor williams/Getty Images

A rider crashes. Image: Trevor Williams/Getty Images

A competitor suffers a toe injury. Image: TREVOR WILLIAMS/GETTY IMAGES

Teams are made up of three riders, and the objective is to complete as many laps as possible within the two hours.

This year's winning team, Kiyotaki, won 90 kg in bags of rice.

The competition, which was started as a marketing stunt for a sleepy shopping arcade in Kyotanabe, has become so popular that it's since been held in 12 other parts of Japan, including an upcoming April race in southern Taiwan's Tainan city.

The winning team, Kiyotaki, collect their prize of 90 kg of rice. Image: TREVOR WILLIAMS/GETTY IMAGES

Image: trevor williams/getty images

Racing to exhaustion. Image: TREVOR WILLIAMS/GETTY IMAGES

There are cheerleaders. Image: TREVOR WILLIAMS/GETTY IMAGES

Image: TREVOR WILLIAMS/GETTY IMAGES

Business attire is appropriate, of course. Image: TREVOR WILLIAMS/GETTY IMAGES

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