My only question is what species are these guys???
- Sarah

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Slow-Moving Snails Race in Spain

.c The Associated Press

 TRICIO, Spain (AP) - Moving at a snail's pace, a mollusk named Gomer emerged victorious Saturday in a race that required him to drag 30 times his weight.

Gomer was the swiftest of 50 snails to tow a tin of pickled peppers in the seven-minute race. The peppers are a specialty of this northern Spanish village.

Gomer covered 10 inches and won after withstanding a stiff early challenge from a snail named Thunder.

Mayor Carlos Benito said there were so many competitors this year that organizers had to stage the race in three heats. ``It was very exciting. We had snails from all over Spain,'' he said.

The race was the centerpiece of a 20-year-old summer festival in Tricio, 220 miles north of Madrid.

After the race, chefs served up a local delicacy: 500 pounds of stewed snails.

Gomer, however, went home unscathed and with a trophy.