From Clocks to Cobblestones: The World’s Weirdest Sports Trophies

I was watching Full Speed on Netflix the other day and it showed the Martinsville Speedway race and the very unusual trophy for the winner – a grandfather clock – and it got me thinking about what other weird and wonderful trophies exist in professional sports. Some I may have heard of, but others, like the Martinsville Speedway grandfather clock, I had no idea about until now. So here’s my run down, starting with the grandfather clock.

Martinsville Speedway Grandfather Clock

The Martinsville Speedway Grandfather Clock is one of the most distinctive prizes in all of motorsport. Standing seven feet tall and weighing over 130 pounds, this elegant yet imposing timepiece is awarded to the winner of the NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway. The tradition began in 1964, when track owner H. Clay Earles wanted a trophy that would stand out from the usual silverware. Given Martinsville’s location in Virginia’s furniture-making heartland, and with Ridgeway Furniture just down the road, a grandfather clock made perfect sense.

The clock is more than just a quirky memento – it’s a coveted prize that represents victory at one of NASCAR’s oldest and most challenging short tracks. Known for its tight corners, close-quarters racing and occasional tempers, Martinsville is a race drivers love to win, partly for the prestige and partly for the clock itself. The clocks are crafted by Ridgeway Furniture, ensuring each one is a locally made piece of craftsmanship. Drivers across the Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series have claimed them over the years, with Fred Lorenzen taking home the first in 1964. Richard Petty leads the tally with an incredible 15 clocks, making him the undisputed king of Martinsville.

The Ashes Urn

In cricket, few trophies carry as much tradition as The Ashes urn. Standing just 10.5 centimetres tall and made from terracotta, it’s a modest object with a huge reputation. The Ashes series between England and Australia is one of sport’s fiercest rivalries, and the urn’s origins go back to 1882 when Australia beat England at The Oval – their first Test victory on English soil. A mock obituary in The Sporting Times declared that English cricket had died, and “the body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia.”

When England captain Ivo Bligh toured Australia the following year, he was presented with the urn, said to contain the ashes of a burnt cricket bail. While the urn itself is not the official trophy (the actual series trophy is a Waterford crystal representation of the urn), it remains the symbolic heart of The Ashes. The original resides at Lord’s in London, displayed at the MCC museum, while replicas are awarded to the series winners.

Paul Bunyan’s Axe

In American college football, few rivalry trophies are as physically imposing as Paul Bunyan’s Axe. This six-foot wooden axe is awarded to the winner of the annual clash between the Wisconsin Badgers and the Minnesota Golden Gophers – one of the oldest rivalries in Division I-A football, dating back to 1890. The axe was introduced in 1948, replacing a previous trophy, and its handle bears the engraved scores of every meeting since.

Paul Bunyan, the legendary lumberjack of North American folklore, is a fitting symbol for this Midwestern battle. Tradition dictates that the winning team parades the axe around the field in celebration, often mock-chopping the opposition’s goalposts. While Minnesota claimed the first two victories after the axe’s introduction, Wisconsin has dominated the rivalry in modern times.

Paris-Roubaix Cobblestone Trophy

Cycling has its fair share of unusual awards, but few are as fittingly brutal as the Paris-Roubaix cobblestone trophy. Paris-Roubaix, nicknamed “The Hell of the North,” is one of cycling’s oldest and most prestigious one-day races, famous for its punishing cobbled sections. Since 1977, winners have received a mounted cobblestone taken from the race route itself.

Each trophy is produced by a stonemason in Orchies, France, using real cobblestones sourced from the region’s fields. The block is fixed onto a stone or limestone plinth, creating a weighty, rustic reminder of the rider’s triumph. Unlike mass-produced trophies, these are genuinely unique pieces – each stone has its own shape, texture and history. The cobblestone is both a memento and a badge of honour, marking a rider’s ability to conquer one of the toughest races in the sport.

Castello Masters Trophy

Golf trophies can sometimes be traditional cups or understated plaques, but the Castello Masters trophy was anything but ordinary. Awarded at the now-defunct European Tour event held at Sergio Garcia’s home course, the Club de Campo del Mediterráneo in Spain, this trophy looked like a whimsical mix between an Easter egg and Mr. Potato Head.

The Castello Masters ran from 2008 to 2011, with Garcia himself winning twice – including a record-breaking 11-stroke victory in 2011. Its playful design stood out in a sport often associated with more conservative awards. Although the tournament is no longer on the schedule, the trophy remains one of golf’s more memorable curiosities.

Qatar Masters – Mother of Pearl Trophy

Staying with golf, the Qatar Masters offers another departure from the norm with its Mother of Pearl Trophy. Designed to reflect Qatar’s maritime heritage and historic pearl diving industry, the trophy is more of an art piece than a traditional sports award. Its shimmering mother-of-pearl surface and intricate design serve as a cultural statement as well as a sporting prize.

This nod to national identity sets it apart from the silver cups and crystal bowls more commonly associated with golf. It connects the tournament to the region’s history, making it as much a celebration of Qatari tradition as a reward for golfing excellence.

Telephone Trophy

Finally, perhaps one of the most peculiar trophies in American college football history – the Telephone Trophy. This unusual prize is awarded in the rivalry between the Iowa State Cyclones and the Missouri Tigers and takes the form of an old-fashioned rotary phone, painted in Iowa State’s red and gold, mounted on a wooden base.

The origin story dates back to 1959 when, before a game in Ames, a Missouri assistant coach discovered that their sideline phones were connected in such a way that they could listen in on Iowa State’s coaching conversations. The fault was fixed before kick-off, but the incident caused a stir. To commemorate the mix-up, Northwestern Bell Telephone Co. of Ames created the trophy, which has been contested ever since. Missouri dominated the series historically, with the last Telephone Trophy game played in 2011 before Missouri’s move to the SEC.

From a towering clock to a tiny urn, a cobblestone to a comically large axe, and even a retro telephone, the world of sport is full of unusual trophies that tell their own stories. They represent not just victory, but local heritage, historic rivalries and, occasionally, a good sense of humour. These unique awards remind us that sport is not only about the competition itself, but also about the traditions and tales that grow around it – the sort of details that, once you learn them, make every win feel richer in meaning.

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