World first sperm race: A breakthrough to men’s fertility

A group of American teenagers has hosted the world’s first sperm race in Los Angeles to raise fertility awareness.

The event, staged at the iconic Hollywood Palladium on Friday April 25, 2025, drew hundreds of curious attendees.

Four students, aged between 17 and 20, raised $1.5 million to organize the competition and promote male reproductive health.

The central attraction featured a live sperm race between two university students, each submitting a semen sample.

Organisers placed the samples on an eight-inch track, modeled after the female reproductive system.

Each sperm cell travelled a real-life distance of just two millimetres on the lab-designed track.

A lab technician wearing a white coat handled the sperm using pipettes and placed them precisely on the racetrack.

The samples belonged to 20-year-old Tristan Mykel from the University of Southern California, and 19-year-old Asher Proeger from the University of California.

Using a microscope, cameras magnified the race by 100 times and transmitted it to 3D animation software.

Audiences watched the race unfold on large screens, with live commentary, replays, and simulated betting odds.

Tristan Mykel, calling himself “Tristan Milker” and describing himself as a “fertility athlete,” won the competition.

Organisers sprayed the losing contestant with a liquid resembling semen, drawing cheers and laughter from the crowd.

The event blended science, satire, and performance, creating a mix of viral spectacle and serious messaging.

Audience members, mostly students and young adults, wore themed costumes, with some dressed as human genitals.

Hosts cracked lewd jokes throughout, often mocking both contestants in typical college-style humour.

Behind the scenes, 17-year-old high school student Eric Zhu led the creation of the sport.

Zhu said he feared a future where declining fertility could make natural reproduction difficult or even impossible.

“There could be a dystopian future where no one can make babies,” he warned during an onstage address.

He urged young men to take better care of their reproductive health by making lifestyle changes.

“It’s your choice to sleep earlier. It’s your choice to stop doing drugs,” Zhu told the audience.

He encouraged dietary improvements, exercise, and less screen time to preserve fertility and boost sperm motility.

Zhu distanced himself from pro-natalist movements that link fertility with politics or nationalism.

“I have nothing to do with Elon Musk or conservative agendas,” he said. “I just want awareness.”

Musk, an ally of former U.S. President Donald Trump, has repeatedly warned about population decline.

Reports suggest Trump’s circle is considering fertility-focused policies if re-elected.

Proposed incentives include $5,000 payments to mothers per child and a “National Medal of Motherhood” for large families.

Scientific opinions about sperm count decline remain divided.

Some studies claim sperm counts have halved over recent decades, while others report inconsistent or regional results.

However, researchers agree that modern lifestyle factors and chemical exposure may contribute to male infertility.

Shanna Swan, an epidemiologist at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine, co-authored a study cited by Zhu.

She linked exposure to hormonally active chemicals to reduced fertility among men globally.

Despite the serious themes, some experts questioned the event’s tone and scientific credibility.

Many attendees saw it as a humorous and provocative stunt designed for social media virality.

Yet for the organisers, it was a bold way to start conversations about a growing reproductive health concern.

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