In the early days of European colonization of North America, cannon were used extensively in warfare. But by the time of the American Revolution, they were mostly relegated to a ceremonial role. So when Americans started using them again in earnest during the War of 1812, it was natural for some enterprising souls to come up with the idea of a “cannonball run”: a race from one end of the country to the other using only cannonballs as transportation.
The first recorded cannonball run took place in 1819, when two young men from New York set out to see if they could make it all the way to Florida using only cannonballs as their means of transportation. They made it as far south as Georgia before finally being apprehended by authorities (who were not amused by their antics).
The rules for cannonball running are simple: you can only use cannonballs as your means of transport, and you can’t stop moving until you reach your destination. That’s it! Of course, these days most people don’t actually try to do this (since it’s illegal and dangerous), but it’s still fun to think about.