Pennsylvania fair hosts first baby race, 29 babies compete

ELIZABETHTOWN, Penn. (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - It's being dubbed as the cutest race ever, and it happened Tuesday at a fair in Pennsylvania.

Don't let their young age fool you, these are serious competitors.

"My husband was really excited about it, so we registered and got [our son] a costume and here we are," said Whitney Mcelheny, a mother.

29 babies, between the ages of six months to one-years-old, attempted to crawl their way to the finish line at E-Town Fair's first Baby Race, albeit some got a little distracted.

"You never really know with races like this cause babies have a mind of their own," said Cortney Rank Cameron, the race's coordinator.

A clear winner

It was their coaches, mostly moms and dads armed with gadgets and toys, coaxing them to the finish line. Some came ready to win.

"We made sure [our daughter] had a three hour nap. We had a big bottle, so she was well taken care of, and then we just had to make eye contact, you know, 'Eye on the prize,' and we did and she knew where to go," said Allison Ruoff, a mother.

In the end, there was a clear winner. 10-month-old Althea Ruoff, Allison's daughter, took home a $200 prize.

"I was really impressed with our winner...She really went for it," Cameron shared.

Some took the loss hard, but in the end, they were all winners. At least when it came to being the cutest.