MANLIUS, N.Y. -- An unusual tradition continued right before the Manlius Parade Wednesday morning.

The Stickley Chair Race pitted several teams against each other, each with one rider and one pusher. They raced in front of the Swan Pond on chairs of all shapes and sizes.

It may be a lighthearted event, but it still calls for some serious preparation.

"Bill's been practicing sitting for the last two weeks and steering in a straight line, always critical. And we've had a couple of test runs over at my place covering the roughly 200 meters, so we think we're ready," said Bruce Millar.

“I've been training all year. I've been doing a lot of squats, Carrie's been dieting. So we're pretty confident this year that we're going to get at least third,” said Joseph Winkler.

Carrie Endries said, “Actually I've heard there are six entries, so we might get sixth.”

Winkler replied, “Oh, there are six entries? So yeah, I'm pretty confident in getting fifth or sixth place."

This was the 34th year for the Stickley Chair Race.