The chihuahuas will be off and running once again on Saturday, May 7, during what has become Chattanooga biggest Cinco De Mayo tradition.
Presented by Hits 96, WDOD-FM, the ninth annual “Running of the Chihuahuas” will be held at the First Tennessee Pavilion, 1826 Reggie White Blvd. Registration is currently underway at hits96.com.
Event organizer and afternoon personality Brad Steiner says the event, featuring tiny athletes that are small in stature but large on charm, has continued to get bigger and bigger.
“I’m proud that this event has become a Chattanooga institution. By 2045 I fully expect this race to be bigger than the Kentucky Derby.”
Six dogs race in each heat with the first to cross the finish line advancing to the next round. For the fourth year, Hits 96 is surrounding the race-site with big screen TV’s that will make for optimum viewing of the chihuahuas. The screens can also be utilized to determine the winner when competition gets tight, Steiner says, as it did in the 2014 and 2015 finale.
Winning chihuahuas can win their weight in prizes, he added.
Fans at the event will also be entertained by live musical performances by touring artists who will be announced in the coming weeks.
Station Manager Danny Howard says, “This event has grown beyond our wildest expectations,” says station manager Danny Howard.
“It’s been so successful that other cities have copied our blueprint and offering their own unsanctioned version of the race. Luckily, due to the overwhelming support of our community and local sponsors, the original Running of the Chihuahuas still remains the biggest in the country. Others try and try to copy what we do, but Chattanooga knows Hits 96 always does it bigger and better.”
Steiner adds, “Nine years in the making and the cute-little station parking lot race has turned into a full-on major sporting spectacle. Nowhere will you see the athletic prowess that you will see on May 7th.”
The event will start at 1 p.m. at the First Tennessee Pavilion. Music begins at 2: and racing begins, tentatively, at 5 p.m.