Overview

• The eighth edition was held on September 6, 2025 in Hungary, drawing professional grave diggers from multiple countries to compete under uniform rules.
• Hungary’s László Kiss and Róbert Nagy of Parakletosz Nonprofit Kft won in 1:33:20 for a second straight year, according to organizers.
• Two-person teams were required to dig a 2.0 m by 0.8 m by 1.6 m grave, replace roughly 2.5 tons of soil, and were scored on speed, accuracy and presentation on a 10-point scale within a two-hour limit.
• Hungary’s Association of Cemetery Operators and Maintainers organizes the contest to recognize the craft and encourage new entrants to cemetery work.
• Coverage highlights staffing shortages and wider use of excavators and backhoes, with one team from Novosibirsk citing scorching heat in a last-place finish.