“There are four of us traveling to Copenhagen for the weekend – my husband and I are coming from Oslo, while my sister and her boyfriend are flying in from Manchester,” Norwegian racer Stephanie Johnston-Pearce told organizers of Shamrock Love’s 3 Legged Charity Race 2023 upon registration.
“It’s my birthday on the 18th so we LOVE to celebrate it to the fullest with St Patrick’s Day. We just found out about the 3-legged charity run – so cool and super exciting! We can’t wait!”
Oslo, Manchester… clearly word is spreading about the race – a wonderfully crazy way to spend the big day in one of Europe’s most charming cities.
Devours the opposition
Johnston-Pearce’s team is called the Guinness Guzzlers – one of 50 who have signed up so far via the event’s website, which is half the allowed allocation as only 100 couples will be able to take part.
Registration began on March 1st, so that’s half the field in less than a week! Already registered are also last year’s winners, Team Høgenhaven, who completed the route in 20 minutes 21 seconds, and last year’s slowest team, SPS 1, who finished in almost 8 hours!
At the time of going to press, there are still seats available, organizers confirmed to CPH POST, but be quick! With this year’s event taking place on a Friday, there is sure to be more interest than usual.
No limit on donation size
Pre-race registration costs a minimum of DKK 100 per racer – there is no limit on how much each racer can donate – and must be done with MobilePay via 299333.
This can be problematic for anyone hoping to register from abroad, so don’t be surprised if Stockholm Seamus, Dublin Dermot or Oslo Orla get you to help them – but remember there’s usually a big incentive to help them or actually do it. your own charitable donation (via PayPal, GoFundMe or bank transfer – learn more at shamrocklove.com/donate).
Although unconfirmed at the time of going to press, last year main race sponsor Guinness was able to grant one of the lucky donors a trip for two to Dublin that included travel expenses (up to DKK 3,000), airport-hotel transfers both ways, two nights at a four-star hotel in the center with breakfast and a day out at the Guinness Storehouse including lunch.
Same three charities again
Thanks to Guinness, all donations go to charity, and this year the race will again divide the profits equally between three children’s charities: Danske Hospitalsklovne, Laura Lynn Children’s Hospice and CCAFO (Cambodian Children’s Advocacy Foundation Organisation).
The run has supported the charities since 2012, 2015 and 2010 respectively, and had collected DKK 138,700, 86,700 and 164,700 for them before the last run.
Since its start in 2001, the race has raised over 600,000 kroner for charity – of which 15,000 kroner in 2020, even though the race was cancelled. In 2012, a record 600 racers took part, but the maximum number is now 200.
Five pub pit stops
This year the race starts at Kennedy’s Irish Bar at 14:00 and goes to The Shamrock Inn, Pub & Sport, The Globe and finally The Dubliner.
Racers are advised to head to Kennedy’s from around 13:00 to pick up their 3LR packs and have their legs bound with reusable velcro leg ties.
The course is 2.6 km long. After Kennedy’s, the racers stop at three more ‘pit stops’ – The Shamrock Inn, Pub & Sport and The Globe – and drink half a pint each, before a grandstand finish along the Strøget to the finish line at The Dubliner.
At both Kennedy’s and The Dubliner, there will be plenty of Patrick’s Day merchandise for sale, including tote bags and all manner of green clothing.
Never forget the blizzard
The main organizer is Siobhán Kelleher-Petersen, one of the three co-founders of the race, who is the sister of Globe quizmaster John Kelleher.
According to Siobhán, the race has never looked back since it became a fundraising event in 2007. And perhaps the most memorable race came a year later.
“I always smile when I think of St Patrick’s Day 2008 when we woke up to a blizzard. I thought it was going to be a disaster and no one was going to show up,” she told CPH POST.
“But when I got down to Kennedy’s for the registration, I saw them coming – over 200 of them! It was so cold, but we had a really good time and we raised 21,500 kroner for charity, so it was a really good day.”
Donations make a difference
Siobhán is especially looking forward to this year and edges the race’s donation to charity closer to 1 million kroner.
“Since 2007 we’ve raised £600,000 and the racers’ donations have been a massive part of that – everyone who takes part or donates to Shamrock Love helps make a difference,” she said.
“For example, our donation in 2016 was used to build a classroom in southern Cambodia, and this year CCAFO needs our help to build another one (will cost around DKK 17,500). So whether it’s building a classroom in Cambodia or helping to support sick children and their families in Denmark and Ireland, every donation matters and we are grateful to everyone.”
The rules:
Complete the race entirely on foot.
It’s okay to walk – the vast majority of participants do it for the craic, and very few actually run at all!
Drink half a pint of beer at each participating pub: that’s five in total
Get your scorecard stamped as proof at each pub before you hop on your merry way.
Wear something green
Dress up – there’s also a prize for the best dressed team!
Need to know:
Fri 17 March, 14:00, registration online; the race starts at Kennedy’s Bar, Gammel Kongevej 23, Cph V, the race ends with prizes at 16:15 at The Dubliner, Amagertorv 5, Cph K; minimum donation of DKK 200 per team; shamrocklove.com, paddysday.dk
Check out our full 2023 St Patrick’s Day supplement here.
Source: The Nordic Page