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Athens
2004
The BBC is not responsible for the content
of external websites. |
|
| ESSENTIAL
INFO |
|
|
The
Office Olympics aims to follow the true Olympic ideals.
Competitors must not use performance enhancing drugs. This
can include excessive consumption of coffee or tea prior to
the marathon events.
Any failure of drug tests will result in a two week ban on
the consumption of tea or coffee made by other colleagues.
Competitors
enter all events at their own risk. No responsibility will
be taken should the boss walk in and sack staff.
Medal winners are reminded that while pride in winning is
allowed, gloating unnecessarily at your losing colleagues
is not.
Remember
to tell the losers that it is not the winning but taking part
that matters.
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|
 |
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|
Why
not join in the fun and send in the photos of your office competitors
and events. The best ones will appear on this site!
Heptathlon
Events / Just for Fun
Heptathlon
Events
| Mousemat
discus |
| This
being a throwing event, a degree of office space is required
before contestants begin. |
|
Participants
must sit in a swivel chair at the start point and hold the
mousemat in their left or right hand. Standard mouse mats
for the discus event are mandatory, no use of gel padded mats
allowed.
On
the shout of "duck" the thrower must first swivel
a full 360 degrees in the chair before hurling the mat as
far as possible.
|
 |
| Ian
begins his attempt for office olympic glory |
|
| The
winner is the contestant who throws the mat the furthest without
hitting a colleague. Anyone throwing a mat through an open window
faces disqualification. |
| Download
scoresheet |
| Elastic
band flicking |
| A
shorter distance throwing event, this requires subtle hand flicking
skills by contestants. |
|
Each
person must take turns to sit in the same spot - a suggestion
would be the edge of a desk.
Then, using two hands and a good size elastic band, they must
flick the said elastic as far as possible.
|
 |
| Gareth
Lloyd flicking great |
|
No
points for style and the winner is the person who flicks the
furthest.
(Extra points can be gained for hitting the office gossip -
just kidding!) |
| Download
scoresheet |
| Lobbing
rubbish into bin |
| With
so many keen exponents in offices around the country, this
event is bound to be hotly contested. |
|
Place
a cylinder waste paper bin/basket 10ft from the start line.
Contestants take it in turns to hurl pre-scrunched balls
of paper at the bin.
It is recommended that a limit of three minutes be put on
this event, otherwise the time-wasting element takes over
and it can continue indefinitely.
|
 |
| Tony
Fisher sinks the rubbish ball while fellow competitor
Katherine Boyle looks on in disgust |
|
| All
balls must be of similar size and weight. The winner is the
person who lobs the most pieces of rubbish into the bin in
the allotted time. Judges decision is final. |
| Download
scoresheet |
| Coin
tossing tea round |
| A
BBC Three Counties homegrown event this one - great for loose-change
carriers (and those who are always lumbered with making the
tea). |
|
Choose
a bare wall in the office and place your start line approx.
10ft back from there.
Participants take it in turns to toss 10p coins at the target.
The winner is the one who hits the wall at the base or gets
closest to it. For any tie-break situations, replay by moving
one foot back each time until a winner is found.
|
 |
| All
girl coin toss final with Louisa , Sandra and Lucy demonstrating
fine tossing |
|
| This
is the only event where being the loser is relevant - they
put the kettle on. The winner is the person who makes the
least number of cups of tea during the day. |
| Download
scoresheet |
| Speed
log-in |
| A
quick-off-the-mark round with all participants racing at the
same time. |
|
Participants
all sit at their computer, which must be in the off position.
The
referee holds a stop watch and on the count of three, contestants
battle to turn on their computers and log on.
|
 |
| The
big three!! Justin, Martyn and Roberto compete in the
speed log-in event |
|
|
The winner is the one who reaches the desktop position in
the fastest time. Tiebreakers must do battle until a victor
is found. |
| Download
scoresheet |
| Cup
wash up |
| It
is recommended that a time limit is placed on this event,
to avoid some contestants taking forever to wash one spoon. |
|
Three
dirty coffee/tea cups, plus spoons should be used. Each
participant takes it in turns to wash the cups and spoons
- until clean! - in a pre-filled bowl of washing up water.
|
 |
| Reigning
office olympic champion Ollie the cleaner defends her
title |
|
Winner
is the one who does the job in the fastest time with no stains
remaining.
Handicap - the cups are first placed strategically round the
office in strange places. |
| Download
scoresheet |
| Wheely
Chair Racing |
| Bound
to be popular event this, as most contestants have already
got a lot of previous experience. |
|
A
large area is obviously needed for this, with suitable obstacles
- e.g. desks, photocopiers, people, placed along the route.
It is recommended that each participant takes it in turns
to make their way around the course, using the obstacles
to push themselves around or one foot on the ground as a
pivot.
|
 |
| Toby
Friedner attempts to hold back fellow contestant Neil
Edgeller at the start line |
|
| The
winner is the one to complete the course, without crashing,
in the fastest time. |
| Download
scoresheet |
| Hunt
the Pen |
| Each
contestant starts from the same point, ie. Without the pen
they had when they first came in. |
|
Contestants
take turns to hunt for a biro, hidden by the referee. They
may have to lift up papers on desks, search under keyboards
and even in drawers to find the right one.
The
referee can give three clues, such as "I think I left
it under a computer monitor".
|
 |
| A
triumphant Katy Lewis holds the missing pen aloft |
|
|
Time
permitted is two minutes, if the hidden pen is not found
the contestant has no points.
All
those who find the pen are awarded a point, the winner (who
finds the pen in the quickest time) receives two points.
Most
contestants will already be well practised in this event and
are only too aware of the feeling of elation experienced when
the pesky writing implement is found! |
| Download
scoresheet |
Just
for fun!
(Because all the others are serious of course)
| Sandwich
Run |
| This
event can take some time to complete therefore a cut off time
of 1500 should be used. Anyone taking longer will be deducted
penalty points and given brown bread with their sandwiches
as well as the dried up looking egg mayonnaise that's the
only filling left in the shop. |
|
This
event is actually completed by one designated person in
the office, who must take orders from at least four people
and return with exactly the right fillings.
Bonus
points will be given if the orders include a selection of
bread, baps, rolls and baked potatoes plus premium points
if everybody wanting lunch only has a £10 note - and
the contestant returns with exactly the right change for
everyone without owing 50p tomorrow!
|
 |
| Andy
Smith dashes back with lunch in record time |
|
Colleagues
can place side bets on how long it will take said courier
to go and fetch lunch. A named sandwich location must be given
and no points given for those moaning about the wrong filling.
The winner is the person who comes up with the time closest
to the actual time it takes. |
| Marathon
Fag Break |
| Experience
fag break takers are at a distinct advantage here. |
|
Contestants
take it in turns to take a fag break - time must be allowed
for this event to be properly judged, so this could perhaps
be an ongoing event, while the track events are continuing.
Participants leave the room, taking their cigarettes and
have to take the longest possible time to smoke their cigarette.
(Those who use roll-ups have an advantage, but who cares
- the poor loves are strapped for cash).
|
 |
| Top
fag action as Chris Thompson leads the way |
|
| The
winner is the one to finish their cigarette in the slowest
time. Only one cigarette per contestant and no relighting
for roll up competitors. (Guess what, we don't condone smoking
in any way shape or form and therefore do not encourage anyone
to take part in this event) |
| Phone
Pass Relay |
| A
complete lack of knowledge of what your colleagues do is the
key to winning this event, plus a good memory for extension
numbers. |
|
The
idea is to split into groups of four participants. Each
group nominates one person to answer a prearranged telephone
call from the referee.
The call must then be transferred to as many extension numbers
as possible until the caller finally gets to talk to the
person who they wanted to speak to.
|
 |
| An
eager Gareth waits for the phone pass from Katy |
|
| Each
call must be picked up, answered and then transferred. Winning
group is the one to have fielded the call to the most extensions.
|
| Photocopier
Challenge |
| Contestants
take it in turns to photocopy a document of at least ten pages.
|
|
The
competitors are given a multi-page document which they must
accurately photo copy. The photocopier must be pre-warmed
and the paper level filled. Real skill is required to lift
the flap and correctly position the paper before hitting
the copy button.
|
 |
| Bruce
Forsyth? No, newly crowned photocopy champion John Ward |
|
| The
person who can complete the most copies before the who thing
jams wins.
|
| Mary
Ann, Norfolk, Virginia, USA |
Thursday,
24-Mar-2005 18:11:48 GMT |
|
| We
plan to use some of your event ideas for team-building in
our own office olympics. Thanks for the ideas! |
| Milo,
Long Crendon |
Friday,
12-Nov-2004 17:09:59 GMT |
|
| A
technical question. When competing in the "Hunt the Pen" event,
does the pen have to actually work when found? As someone
who has "Hunted the Pen" probably since you were in short
trousers (me-laddy-oh) - I have competed several times in
the international Cherchez-La-Plume tournament - long and
bitter experience shows that the first pen found is, in 77%
of cases, one that either a) has run out, b) is missing some
vital part of the poppy-out mechanism, or c) has been trodden
on or so badly chewed that actually writing with the darned
thing requires the assistance of a several manually-dextrous
colleagues. In such cases - does this count as a "find"? -
or does the clock stay running? |
| Jessica,
Newark,DE |
Tuesday,
26-Oct-2004 01:03:49 BST |
|
| My
friend Alana and I race our swivel chairs down our dorm hallway.
We were inspired by your site!!! Thanks!!!!!!! |
| heather,
luton |
Wednesday,
18-Aug-2004 14:58:22 BST |
|
| fantastic,
loved the photos. so funny. |
|
