Thirty-eight competitors picked up shovels and digging tools Saturday for an unusual grave-digging contest at a public cemetery in northern Hungary, where participants competed to see who could complete a grave the fastest while meeting strict specifications.

The contest was organized by the Hungarian Association of Cemetery Maintainers and Operators as a way to showcase the skills involved in the grave-digging profession and help break down taboos surrounding death.

Nineteen two-person teams took part in the competition at the cemetery in Nyergesújfalu. The dry, hard soil made the task particularly demanding as competitors worked under the summer heat.

Teams raced to complete graves according to the required dimensions, with the competition focused primarily on speed while also requiring accuracy.

Róbert Nagy and his teammate, László Kiss, won the contest with a time of one hour and 21 minutes.

“Speed is the main thing here, not the beauty,” Nagy said after the competition.

He explained that professional grave digging also requires careful attention to dimensions and the quality of the finished grave because the work must meet precise requirements before a funeral.

The winning team dug a grave measuring 1.6 meters (5.5 feet) deep, 2 meters (6.5 feet) long and 0.8 meters (2.6 feet) wide, matching the specifications set for the contest.

Nagy and Kiss shared a cash prize of 200,000 Hungarian forints, worth about $640.

The organizers said the event was intended not only to test the participants’ physical and professional skills but also to present cemetery work in a different way and encourage more open discussion about death.

SOURCE: Associated Press (AP), September 6, 2026.