One of the toughest contests in the world -- the annual Tough Guy event in Staffordshire -- has been won by a 26-year-old German doctor.

Knut Hoehler started as just one of many racers setting off to complete the 12.9 kilometres cross country run before tackling an horrific looking assault course.

But after doing battle with the barbed wire, fire, tunnels and rope bridges Hoehler crossed the line first in a time of one hour, 11 minutes and 57 seconds.

And while he was covered in blood, he did better than some other competitors (who'd all signed a death disclaimer) who were treated for broken bones and hypothermia.

It's not uncommon for hotel visitors to try stealing a robe from their room -- but a hotel chain in Australia is setting their guests a bigger challenge.

Art Series Hotels are hiding a $15,000 Banksy in one of their Hotels and telling guests that if they can steal it without getting caught, they can keep it.

A spokesperson for the hotels said: "The $15,000 masterpiece is one of just a handful of signed and authenticated Banksy's available in Australia. Find it, as it does the rounds of our hotels, and it could be yours...

The artwork "No Ball Games" will hang in a corridor in one of their hotels for 30 days from today… unless someone get it sooner.

Next year will see the launch of what will almost certainly not be the most exciting sporting contest… the World Watching Paint Dry Championships.

Would-be title-holders are being asked to submit photos of themselves looking at paint and state the longest time they've spent watching the coloured stuff dry.

Six finalists will then be selected and invited to take part in a grand final in front of media and show off their paint drying skills.

A spokesperson for localtraders.com, who are organising the contest, said: "After so many sporting disappointments we’re keen to invent a sport which England can excel at and watching paint dry could be just the thing.

"Entrants don’t need to be physically fit or participate in a vigorous training regime, what’s more important is mental strength, concentration and endurance.

Revelers at Germany's Oktoberfest have consumed more beer than ever before -- with a massive 7.5 million litres being knocked back at the famous event.

6.9 million visitors are said to have attended the 17-day event in Munich -- many having donned traditional Bavarian lederhosen for the occasion.

Once there it was all about the beer and food. In addition to the the beer, bosses say hundreds of thousands of sausages and roast chickens were eaten.

And this year brawls were at a record low -- only 58 fights saw drinkers wielding their Masskrugs (litre beer glasses) as weapons... which is apparently and improvement on previous years.

Boffins who noticed certain Australian beetles will try to have sex with discarded beer bottles have won a scientific prize.

Entomologists Professor Darryl Gwynne and David Rentz were awarded the Ig Nobel Prize for their discovery about buprestid Beetles.

They'd discovered the male beetle would try to mate with beer bottles -- but only brown ones with bobbly bits on them.

This was enough to bag the boffins the Ig Nobel Prize, which celebrates research which makes you laugh and then think.

Other winners on the night included the team who devised a wasabi fire alarm for deaf people and a group who looked at why discus throwers get dizzy.

More than 30 teams of lawn mower racers have competed in an annual 12-hour endurance race in the West Sussex countryside.

The ride-on lawn mowers -- which can reach speeds of 50mph -- only have modest (mostly cosmetic) modifications and all use standard engines.

Starting at 7pm, the competitors raced overnight and with no suspension other than a padded seat they could certainly feel it in the morning.

A spokesperson for British Lawn Mower Racing Association, said that all the mowers had their cutting decks removed… so no short cuts then!

A pug named Harley who ate, and subsequently passed, more than 100 rocks has the dubious honour of having won an annual dumb pet award.

Each year bosses of a US pet insurance form like to celebrate their most unusual claim of the year by shortlisting unfortunate pets for a pubic vote.

And this year the honour was bestowed on rock-eating Harley, a pug who decided to munch on stones while his owner was away and ended up filling half of his stomach.

After X-rays revealed what had happened, vets discussed what action to take… but as the rocks were small they decided to let him pass them naturally.

Unfortunate and stupid pets who've done dumb things like eat more than 100 rocks and chase a fly onto a hot wood stove are in the running for a 'prestigious' prize.

A US insurance firm is looking for an animal to award their Hambone award to, for the most unusual claim of the year -- and they have plenty to pick from.

The 12 pet shortlisted for the title -- named after the inaugural winner, a dog who ate an entire Thanksgiving ham while stuck in a refrigerator -- all made full recoveries and received insurance reimbursements for their daft accidents

Previous winners include Labrador retriever who gobbled up an entire beehive and a bulldog who swallowed 15 baby pacifiers, a bottle cap and piece of a basketball.

8,957 people armed with some 175,141 water filled balloons have set a new world record for the world's largest water balloon fight. And it looks like fun.

The record attempt took place at the University of Kentucky and was organised by the Christian Student Fellowship who spent hours filling the balloons.

It apparently took just seven minutes for all of the water balloons to be hurled, that's 25,020 per minute or 417 each second.

And just in case your maths isn't quite as good as ours, that equally a whole lot of fun. Really, just click play if you don't believe us.

The Spanish town of Bunol has once again been painted red with tomato juices thanks to the world's biggest food fight 'La Tomatina'.

Each year more then 40,000 people descend on the small Spanish town where some 120 tons of ripe tomatoes are provided for flinging.

And this year was no exception with tomatoes flying from five loaded trucks which made their way around the town at the start of the hour-long event.

At one point the civil guard even had to step in to control some over-zealous tomato throwers, but the event was otherwise well-natured. Now begins the second annual tradition of Bunol… hosing down the streets.