On a recent Saturday in Lithuania’s capital city, Vilnius, Vingis Park played host to far more than the usual weekend picnics and joggers. More than 150 short-statured, big-personality corgis, alongside their enthusiastic owners from nine countries across Europe and North America, converged for the fifth annual Corgi Race Vilnius — an event that has grown far beyond a casual local gathering to become the largest international corgi celebration on the continent.
What began as a small 2019 meetup drawing just 40 corgis from a single Lithuanian city has exploded in popularity year after year. This year’s milestone event marked a major first: a competitor traveled all the way from the United Kingdom, the birthplace of the Pembroke Welsh corgi breed famously adored by the late Queen Elizabeth II. Organizer Edvinas Miskas noted that the event’s expanding international reach lends new weight to the city’s playful self-title as Europe’s “corgi capital.”
“Now that corgi lovers from the breed’s homeland are choosing to come to our event instead of us traveling to theirs, that nickname starts to feel a lot more credible,” Miskas said.
While many attendees came to watch the 25-meter sprint that serves as the event’s flagship race, the celebration was designed to highlight far more than just the dogs’ running speed. Ninety-four corgis competed across qualifying rounds, semifinals, and a tightly contested final race, where the top three spots were split between international competitors. Taking home first place was American corgi GG, short for Gustave the Girl Dog, who notched another win after a previous first-place finish at a major corgi race in Washington state. Fellow U.S. contestant Mr. Corgington finished a narrow second, just ahead of two-time former champion Moka, a local favorite from Lithuania.
Outside of the main sprint, the event featured three fun competitions that celebrated corgis’ varied skills and personalities. Thirty-eight corgis took part in a crowd-favorite costume parade, showing off outfits ranging from a full dinosaur costume to formal gowns and custom canine sports gear. It was Amigo, a corgi who has attended every single edition of the race, that won both judge and public votes for his intricately designed knight costume, taking home the top prize.
In the “smartest nose” challenge, which tested corgis’ scent-tracking skills by asking them to locate hidden treats around the park, two Latvian corgis, Tora and Rusty, shared the first-place title. The most anticipated off-track event, however, was the competition for the loudest bark. The only British contestant at the whole event, 12-year-old Duke from Sedbergh, England, skipped the main sprint due to his age but joined the bark competition, with his owner noting he had spent his whole life training for the challenge. Ultimately, it was second-place race finisher Mr. Corgington who claimed the bark title with a particularly booming, attention-grabbing howl.
Organizers highlighted that half of all registered corgis this year were first-time competitors, a sign of the event’s growing global popularity among corgi owners. Six dedicated returning corgis — including costume winner Amigo — have attended all five editions of the race, cementing their status as event veterans and fan favorites. For attendees and organizers alike, the event is more than a race: it’s a global gathering of people united by their love for one of the world’s most recognizable and beloved dog breeds.