Fun! People in Inflatable T-Rex costumes Race in Japan

On March 22, 2025, about 60 people dressed as Tyrannosaurus Rexes participated in a race at Funabashi Racecourse in Funabashi, Chiba, Japan! They wore inflatable Tyrannosaurus costumes. This year it was held at a ski resort, but since there's no story about it, Today's blog shares the 2023 story about that crazy race.

(Photo: People in colorful Tyrannosaurus costumes dash in a fierce competition for the top spot in Futtsu, Chiba Prefecture, on Jan. 29, 2023. (Mainichi/Shigeharu Asami))

Dino-mite dash! 60 people in T-rex costumes race at east Japan park

FUTTSU, Chiba -- Some 60 people in colorful Tyrannosaurus costumes recently gathered in this eastern Japan city to race against the clock, drawing cheers from spectators braving a cold northerly wind.

The "Tyrannosaurus Race," an event in which participants from in and out of Chiba Prefecture in dinosaur costumes vied for the best times, was held at Chiba Prefectural Futtsu Park on Jan. 29.

The race is said to have originated in the United States, and the only rule is that runners wear a dinosaur costume that can be purchased online. The park held the event for the first time to relieve people's stress amid the prolonged coronavirus pandemic while enlivening the local community.

(Photo: Families welcome participants in dinosaur costumes after a "Tyrannosaurus Race" in Futtsu, Chiba Prefecture, on Jan. 29, 2023. (Mainichi/Shigeharu Asami)) 

Participants were divided into three divisions: juvenile dinosaurs (elementary school students and younger), adult female dinosaurs (junior high school students and older) and adult male dinosaurs. Some ran with unique names such as "Futtsu-saurus" and "Macho-saurus." Some of the runners stumbled in the middle of the race and fell down, and the competition for the top position was fierce, with cheering and applause from family members who came to support the runners.

The director of the park's management office said, "The race has become popular on video-sharing websites, and we held this event for the first time in the prefecture. We hope to continue it in the future."

(photo: Participants run as fast as they can in their Tyrannosaurus costumes in Futtsu, Chiba Prefecture, on Jan. 29, 2023. (Mainichi/Shigeharu Asami))

(Japanese original by Shigeharu Asami, Kisarazu Local Bureau)