It will be a case of "ready, steady, slow" for a world record attempt with a difference in York this weekend.
In France they may eat snails but at Acorn Rugby League Club they would rather just look at 'em go...even if it takes all day.
The sports and social club in Thanet Road, York, is expected to be packed to the rafters on Sunday in a bid to find the fastest snail on earth.
Organisers are hoping to break the snail speed world record, which stands at 13 inches in two minutes.
Record breaking attempts at the club's gala day last year failed when runners and riders could only manage a snail's pace.
The first to cross the slime on that day was Zippy, owned and trained by young Ben Laycock, who managed to travel 13 inches in two minutes and 41 seconds.
But organiser Linda Hill is confident that record can be broken on Sunday despite competitors having less than a week to get their snails in ship-shape condition.
The races kick off at noon and entry costs £1 per snail.
Other events at the gala day include a tombola, stalls, and beat-the-goalie competition.
See COMMENT Animal crackers
Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article