The ultimate St. Patrick’s Day endurance test
Started in 2001, the 3 Legged Charity Race is part of our Shamrock Love roots. This unique tradition raises money for children’s charities and kickstarts the city’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. It’s put Copenhagen on the list of best places in the world to celebrate the day.
The 3 Legged Charity Race is proudly sponsored by 
St. Patrick’s Day 2025
This St. Patrick’s Day we’re celebrating 25 years of the 3 Legged Race. We’ll let you know all the detail about this years race real soon…
Story behind the race
And they’re off! Racers at the 3 Legged Charity Race, 17 March 2019, Copenhagen
Credit— Andy Kelly (Paddyrazzi)
It’s a simple recipe- take a time-honoured race and some classic Copenhagen pubs. Mix with some Velcro leg ties and plenty of fun-loving revellers. Then sprinkle with some heart-warming appeal and a bit of craic, and you have the makings of the perfect way to celebrate the Irish national holiday.
Sponsored by Guinness, the 3 Legged Charity Race is Copenhagen’s longest running St. Patrick’s Day event. Started back in 2001 with just 18 teams, since then many more have accepted the challenge to become our 3 legged legends.
This wacky race, together with Shamrock Love, has donated 704,005 DKK (€94,379) to various charities and put the city on the lists of best places in the world to celebrate the day.
Ran by a committed group of volunteers from the city’s Danish-Irish community, the race kickstarts the city’s St. Patrick’s Day celebrations and brings everyone together for a fun-filled afternoon.
Check out this video from 2019 when the Embassy of Ireland in Denmark interviewed organiser Siobhán Kelleher-Petersen about how the 3 Legged Charity Race started.