Tyrannosaurus Rampage Turns Washington's Racecourse into a Prehistoric Battlefield

Over the past weekend, an extraordinary event unfolded at Emerald Downs, a racecourse usually known for its live horse racing in suburban Seattle. The tack instead turned into a prehistoric spectacle, as over 200 individuals, fashionably outfitted in inflatable Tyrannosaurus rex costumes, brought their competitive edge to the frontlines of what could easily be mistaken for a Jurassic scene.

Emerging against all odds, Ocean Kim from Kailua, Hawaii, stole the show winning the 100-yard dash. Just a hair's breadth behind was second-place contestant, Colton Winegar of Boise, Idaho, who entered the competition as 'Deno the Dino', and trailing close behind in third, Rex Ray Machine, brilliantly portrayed by Seth Hirschi of Renton.

Dating back to its humble beginnings in 2017, the T-Rex World Championships event was initially conceived as a quirky, fun team-building activity by a pest control company. However, it has evolved over the years into a high-spirited carnival that ends in a neck-and-neck photo finish. This year was no exception with the top three finishers crossing the finish line almost simultaneously in an epic showdown.

Our fascination for the real T. rex, a predator that ruled the earth between 65 to 67 million years ago, is ceaseless. Hollywood's portrayal through epic 'Jurassic Park' tragedies has only served to stoke public intrigue about this carnivorous creature. An estimate published in the journal Science suggests about 2.5 billion T. rexes might have existed over the course of history, a fact that only adds to our shared, collective awe at these incredible creatures.