Mooresville Weenie Race 2026

The Races

Puppies ~(4 months -1 yr) - (no pups under 4 mos allowed)

Juniors ~ (1 – 5 yrs) 

Adults ~(5 – 10 yrs)

Seniors ~ (10 yrs & older)

Special Needs (handicapable)

Mixed Breed 

The number of entries received will determine the number of heats for each division.  Each heat will consist of 5 dogs racing each other.  The winner of each heat will advance to the semi-finals and from the semi-finals an ultimate division winner will emerge. The winner of each division will receive an award.

Heats will be run every 10-15 minutes and organized in numerical order.  Please be ready to come to the starting box with your Wiener as soon as you hear your heat number called. The winner of each puppy heat will need to remain available for the final division race and so if your Wiener is the winner of his/her heat, you may be waiting for the rest of the division to run before you are called back to the starting box. If you leave the event for any reason and are not present at the starting time for the final race of your Wiener’s division, you can be disqualified as a no-show. Awards will be given out after each age group race. There will be no final awards ceremony given the number of dogs racing. 

The race arena will consist of a starting block/box, staging area and a track of 25 to 35 feet in length depending upon the division running.

Each entrant will be required to be controlled by his/her owner in the staging area and then placed in the starting block/box.  At the starting sound, the gate will be released and Wieners will head for the finish line.  

Owners can encourage or coax their Wieners to the finish line using treats and/or favorite toys however no contact with your dog is allowed while they are on the track in race mode until they have crossed the finish line or a winner of the heat has been proclaimed.  Only owners of Wieners who are running in the current race are allowed on the track during each race and are limited to two handlers per dog (a “releaser and a “catcher”).  The designated “catcher” for each Wiener team must remain at least 5 feet back from the finish line and is not allowed to cross the finish line or reach on to the running track area to physically touch their Wiener in an attempt to assist him/her in completing the race until a winner has been declared. No lights of any sort or throwing of objects onto the track will be allowed to entice Wieners to run.  In the event of a tie during a qualifying heat, a secondary run of the two involved contestants will be run immediately thereafter.  In the case of a “photo finish”, the determination of a winner will be at the sole discretion of race officials.

At the end of each heat, owners must retrieve their Wiener from the track as quickly as possible to clear the area for the next heat.