For 14 years now, St Patrick ‘s Day has been celebrated in Copenhagen in typically Irish wacky fashion with the running of the annual Three-legged Charity Race.
Be warned: it isn’t easy. Bar-hopping becomes a hell of a lot harder when you’re tied to your partner and you have to co-ordinate your steps whilst downing half-pints of beer.
But for the thousands who have turned up to compete over the years, it is an experience they’ll never forget.
Five-pub, 3km slog
The race begins at 14.30 at Axeltorv in central Copenhagen. Competitors are tied together and given the lowdown on the 3km course ahead of them, on which they will stop off at four ‘pit stops’ (Irish pubs) along the way. At each pub, participants are required to down half a pint of Carlsberg and get their scorecard stamped as proof before hobbling on their merry way.
The rules are few: participants must complete the race entirely by foot and all teams must wear green. The race promises to deliver some imaginative costumes, and of course there is a prize for the best-dressed team too!
Don’t be late!
All the participants must remember to register for the race at 13:00 at Kennedy’s Bar (Gammel Kongevej 23, Cph V). Participation costs 150 kroner (cash only) per team, and it is recommended to be there on time to avoid the disappointment of being told there is no more room.
The race is a wildly unique celebration of Ireland’s national day, so whether you’re Irish, a tourist, an expat or a Dane, all are invited to join the fun.
St Patrick’s Day 3 Legged Charity Race
Tue March 17, 14:30, registration from 12:30 at Kennedy’s Bar, Gammel Kongevej 23, Cph V – route visits The Shamrock Inn, The Globe Irish Pub, The Irish Rover & The Dubliner; 150kr per team; paddysday.dk
For a good cause
– The St Patrick’s Day 3 Legged Charity Race event is run by volunteers from the Danish-Irish community.
– Since becoming a fundraising event in 2007, the race has raised 296,500 kroner (approximately 40,000 euros) for various charities.
– The event is sponsored by Diageo, which has kindly agreed to provide free beer for all race participants.
– This year, money will be donated to three charities: Danske Hospitalsklovne, Laura Lynn Children’s Hospice in Dublin, and CCAF – a preschool program in Cambodia.
