The premier event of Pancake Day is our annual race to crown a local champion in the International Pancake Race. This friendly contest against the women of Olney, England began in 1950 when R.J. Leete wrote to the Vicar of Olney’s local congregation about joining in their medieval tradition and celebrating Shrove Tuesday.
That agreement over seventy years ago was based on a shared set of rules.
- Open to no more than fifteen (15) women, eighteen (18) years of age or over, with domestic duties. Entrants must have a minimum of three (3) months residence at a Liberal or Rural Route Liberal mailing address. Women who are 18 and still enrolled in high school should enter the Youth Division race. Women who are unable to accept a prize of monetary value (cash or merchandise) due to eligibility requirements may only enter the International Race by permission of the Rules Committee.
- *All entrants MUST wear traditional housewife attire: dress or skirt and top, an apron and headscarf; (sweats, jeans, or athletic attire may be WORN UNDER the SKIRT). The skillet and the pancake will be furnished by the Race Committee. Please return the skillet to a board member at the finish line or inside the Hall of Fame.
- All runners must flip their pancake two (2) times, the first flip to be made before the starting signal, and the second flip after the contestant crosses the finish line; this flip is to show that she still has the pancake in the skillet. If the pancake is dropped at any time, the contestant may pick it up and place it back in the skillet and continue the race. Any assistance from spectators, or any other persons, will automatically disqualify the contestant.
- The distance of the race will be 415 yards and is to be run over an “S” shaped course.
- The International Pancake Race will start at 11:55am on Shrove Tuesday also known as Pancake Day!
- Each contestant must be at the **Faith Tabernacle Church, 514 N. Kansas Ave., no later than 11:00am on Pancake Day.
- All entrants agree to attend the Shriving Service immediately following the International Race. The prizes will be given out after the service.
- Entrant agrees that in the event she is the winner of the Liberal International Pancake Day Race, she will accept no personal appearances outside of Liberal or run in any other Pancake Race for ONE YEAR subsequent to winning the Liberal International Pancake Race, without first receiving consent and sanction of the International Pancake Day of Liberal, Kansas Inc. Board of Directors.
- A woman may win the International Pancake Day race up to three times and then she must ‘retire’.
| Year | Winner | Olney | Liberal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Liberal | Eloise Kramer | Pamela Bolivar |
| 2024 | Liberal | Kaisa Larkas | Pamela Bolivar |
| 2023 | Olney | Eloise Kramer | Isabelle Sullenger |
| 2022 | Liberal | Katie Godof | Whitney Hay |
| 2021 | No Race | – | – |
| 2020 | Olney | Katie Godof | Whitney Hay |
| 2019 | Liberal | Amy Butler | Maggie Lapinski |
| 2018 | Liberal | Katie Godof | Gabbie Covarrubias |
| 2017 | Kaisa Larkas | Maggie Lapinski | |
| 2016 | Olney | Lianne Fisher | Summer Parsons |
| 2015 | Liberal | Emma Maitland | Hannah Belron |
| 2014 | Olney | Devon Byrne | Summer Parsons |
| 2013 | Olney | Devon Byrne | Caitlin Demarest |
| 2012 | Olney | Devon Byrne | Kaela Kruegar |
| 2011 | Liberal | Nicky Sallis | Nicole Schowengerdt |
| 2010 | Liberal | Jane Hughes | Cheri Bevis |
| 2009 | Liberal | Jane Hughes | Natasha Gallegos |
| 2008 | Liberal | Amanda Brear | Amanda Curtis |
| 2007 | Liberal | Jane Hughes | Jessica Lash |
| 2006 | Olney | Andrea Rawlings | Erin Lowan |
| 2005 | Liberal | Andrea Rawlings | Jill Wetstein |
| 2004 | Liberal | Andrea Rawlings | Cheri Bevis |
| 2003 | Liberal | Juliette Minter | Cheri Bevis |
| 2002 | Liberal | Juliette Minter | Melissa Hurla |
| 2001 | Liberal | Juliette Minter | Lisa Spellman |
| 2000 | Liberal | Avril Soman | Lisa Spellman |
| 1999 | Liberal | Natalie Thomas | Lisa Spellman |
| 1998 | Olney | Natalie Thomas | Christy Riffel |
| 1997 | Liberal | Avril Soman | Christina Wilbers |
| 1996 | Olney | Dawn Galyot | Christina Wilbers |
| 1995 | Olney | Jackie Bowden | Lou Ann Barker |
| 1994 | Olney | Claire Whittle | Lisa Biddle |
| 1993 | Liberal | Lesley Byrne | Mindy Amerin |
| 1992 | Liberal | Susan Jones | Vicky van Sickle |
| 1991 | Olney | Alison Steele | Carla Patterson |
| 1990 | Liberal | Alison Steele | Carla Patterson |
| 1989 | Olney | Lesley Byrne | Donnetta Schindler |
| 1988 | Olney | Lesley Byrne | Marcia Streiff |
| 1987 | Olney | Elizabeth Bartlett | Marcia Streiff |
| 1986 | Olney | Elizabeth Bartlett | Shelley Welsh |
| 1985 | Olney | Sally Swallow | Marcia Streiff |
| 1984 | Olney | Louise Fitzgerald | Mona Canaday |
| 1983 | Olney | Linda Carey | Joyce Heeb |
| 1982 | Liberal | Rosemary Ludgate | Barbara McCaffery |
| 1981 | Olney | Rosemary Ludgate | Gillian Brewer |
| 1980 | R Ludgate, S Smith | Sheila Turner | |
| 1979 | Olney | Julie Perks | Barbara McWilliams |
| 1978 | Liberal | June Strauthum | Stephanie Wagner |
| 1977 | Liberal | Sallyann Faulkner | Mary Bender |
| 1976 | Liberal | Susan Hillier | Sheila Turner |
| 1975 | Liberal | Sallyann Faulkner | Sheila Turner |
| 1974 | Liberal | Sallyann Faulkner | Patricia Cheeks |
| 1973 | Liberal | Ella Crouch | Pat Clark |
| 1972 | Liberal | Ella Crouch | Kathleen West |
| 1971 | Liberal | Ruth Faulkner | Barbara Rinehart |
| 1970 | Liberal | Sylvia Winstanley | Kathleen West |
| 1969 | Olney | Sylvia Winstanley | Raneta Pomroy |
| 1968 | Olney | Mary Dix | Janice Grant |
| 1967 | Olney | Janet Bunker | Lynda Fox |
| 1966 | Liberal | Janet Bunker | Rachel Crites |
| 1965 | Liberal | Jennifer Andrews | Grace Riggs |
| 1964 | Olney | Bridget Lowrie | Grace Kostreva |
| 1963 | Liberal | Linda Risby | Mary Barrington |
| 1962 | Olney | Carol Vorley | Vicky Campbell |
| 1961 | Liberal | Carol Vorley | Carolyn McGlamery |
| 1960 | Olney | Carol Vorley | Anne Hueter |
| 1959 | Liberal | Bridget Lowrie | Mary Collingwood |
| 1958 | Olney | Sandra Sibley | Mary Collingwood |
| 1957 | Olney | Sandra Sibley | Mary Collingwood |
| 1956 | Liberal | Cicely Sparrow | Nina Jordan |
| 1955 | Liberal | Doris Milward | Binnie Dick |
| 1954 | Liberal | Joan Keech | Binnie Dick |
| 1953 | Olney | Isabella Dix | Binnie Dick |
| 1952 | Liberal | Isabella Dix | Joan Zimmerman |
| 1951 | Olney | Isabella Dix | Emagene Bruce |
| 1950 | Olney | Florence Callow | Billie Warden |
