three-legged race

American  

noun

1. a race among a number of paired contestants, each contestant having one leg tied to the adjacent leg of their partner.

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three-legged race British  

noun

1. a race in which pairs of competitors run with their adjacent legs tied together

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Etymology

Origin of three-legged race

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

It’s as if they imagine collaborative fiction as a kind of three-legged race: goofy and fun at an office picnic, but ill suited to a serious runner.

From Salon • May 25, 2015

MasterChef The young chefs attempt to bake while in a three-legged race.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 17, 2014

Caleb found a way to participate in nearly all of the physical activities, including the three-legged race, for which an extra “leg” was attached to his walker.

From Washington Post • Jun. 23, 2013

But for virtually all, it has become a three-legged race that is impossible to win alone.

From Inc • Jun. 4, 2013

He followed his father that afternoon, and they joined in the tug-of-war and the three-legged race.

From "Snow Falling on Cedars: A Novel" by David Guterson