Two U.S. college students recently hosted what is being described as the “world’s first” sperm race, a highly unusual competition held at the iconic Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles.
The event, called Sperm Racing, was organised by four teenage entrepreneurs who raised $1.5 million (£1.13 million) to bring their idea to life.
It featured semen samples from two healthy university students racing on an eight-inch (20cm) track designed to resemble the female reproductive system. The purpose was to raise awareness about male fertility.
Tristan Mykel, 20, a University of Southern California student who adopted the moniker “Tristan Milker” and dubbed himself a “fertility athlete,” won the race.
The event included livestreams, instant replays, and even live betting odds. The loser, Asher Proeger, a 19-year-old student at the University of California, was sprayed with a semen-like substance as part of the show.
“There could be this dystopian future where no one will be able to make babies,” said Eric Zhu, the 17-year-old high schooler who invented the race.
A man in a lab coat placed pre-collected semen samples on 2mm-long tracks using pipettes. The race was magnified 100 times through a microscope, captured by camera, converted into 3D animation, and displayed for the audience.
“There’s no way to really tell if this is real, but I want to believe it is,” said 20-year-old spectator Felix Escobar.
Zhu’s concern reflects themes common in the growing pro-natalist movement, often supported by conservative and far-right figures.
“I have nothing to do with this, I’m not like an Elon Musk, who wants to repopulate the Earth,” Zhu said.
Musk, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, has warned of population decline and has fathered over a dozen children with different women.
“It’s your choice to sleep earlier. It’s your choice to stop doing drugs. It’s your choice to eat healthier, and all these different things have a significant kind of impact on your motility,” Zhu added.
The Trump administration is reportedly considering incentives to boost birth rates and support conservative family values. These proposals include a “National Medal of Motherhood” for women with six or more children and a $5,000 bonus for every new mother.
Scientific opinions vary on whether sperm counts are falling drastically, but birth rates have declined in many nations, raising alarms about shrinking and ageing populations.
Dr Shanna Swan, a reproductive epidemiologist at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine, co-authored a study supporting Zhu’s concerns, blaming widespread exposure to “hormonally active chemicals” for declining fertility.
Despite its scientific framing, the event also resembled a college stunt. Attendees wore costumes, including one shaped like male genitalia, while hosts made crude jokes and mocked contestants.
The race’s YouTube livestream attracted over 100,000 views, further fuelling the viral spectacle.
