Potato racing competition in Dretzel: A competition for young and old!

Potato racing competition in Dretzel: A competition for young and old!

On Saturday, September 18, 2025, the traditional potato racing competition will take place in Dretzel, a district of Genthin. This unique event allows participants to delve into the past and experience what the potato harvest was like 100 years ago. The competition offers something for young and old and is therefore very popular. The event begins at 12 p.m. and there is a designated path to the field as well as a shuttle service to provide visitors with comfortable transportation. Those interested can compete as a team of three or as individuals to get the most potatoes out of the ground within three minutes. [Radiosaw](https://www.radiosaw.de/ Veranstaltung/genthin-ot-dretzel-dretzel-kartoffel-wettracken) reports that the event is both competitive and fun and specifically targets all age groups.

Last year, the potato tracking competition was a great success, with participants harvesting an impressive 1,370.2 kilograms of potatoes. The world of potato racking transforms from a strenuous activity into an entertaining leisure activity. Helga Strength, who attended for the first time, said that she felt down-to-earth and had a lot of fun with the event. Walter Wandt, an experienced participant, has taken part in the competition for many years and now enjoys the role of spectator. The event is attracting more and more interested people, even if the number of school enrollments has noticeably decreased. Volksstimme shows that the organizers provide seating where visitors can linger over coffee, cake and hearty food.

Competition and participants

A total of ten teams took part in the last competition, as well as seven men, three women as individual starters and three children's teams. The rules have remained unchanged for years: the earnings during the three-minute rack time are counted. Marina Conradi monitored the time and informed the audience about the progress of the competition. A popular team is the Dretzel I youth club, whose members Tino Krüger, Laura Thiem and Kim Buhtz compete in uniform competition clothing provided by the local fire department club. Laura Thiem explained that she comes from Dretzel and is proud to take part in this competition.

Particularly noteworthy is the team from Mützeler, who brought a mascot with them - the donkey Lilli and her foal Kucki. Farmer Thiem, who provides the field, expressed his respect for the young participants who not only watch the racking but also become active themselves. The Edeka team is considered beginners and already has plans to use the harvested potatoes for soup at the upcoming potato festival.