HCMC holds first ever corgi marathon

Many participants and spectators queued up with their pets an hour before the race, at around 2:30 p.m., to buy tickets for VND50,000-100,000 ($2.14-4.30). Organizers said approximately 600 people attended the show.

To avoid defecation, all corgis entering the gym had to wear diapers.

The four-legged athletes also wore bib-numbered shirts and received health checks, pedicures, hair sprays and other services.
“I let my dog join the competition so it could run, jump and play as much as it wants. Because I live in an apartment, my dogs don’t have much room to play,” said Nguyen Thu Thuy from Thu Duc City.

Dogs were placed in their respective cages.
Dinh Cong Tuan had words with his corgi before the race.

Each race has 12 dogs competing to choose two contenders for the final round.
The barn door opened simultaneously after the referee blew the whistle and all 12 corgis tried to dash to the finish line.
The playing field is approximately 40 meters long, which is sufficient for a dog race.
“We chose to organize the race to create a playground to connect the pet-loving community,” said Hoang Yen, head of the organizing committee.

Each run lasts approximately one minute. However, not every athlete runs the correct route to the finish line.

Corgis sprint to the finish line, delighting spectators.

After the race, a corgi jumps at an expat owner waiting at the finish line.

The Corgi Marathon lasted about an hour, and the first prize of VND10 million went to the corgi owned by Minh Trung (R) and Hai Mi.
“He is 1.5 years old and very active, running around the house every day,” Trung said.
Race organizers said they would expand the competition to other provinces and cities in the future and have more dogs participate.