GBGB’s fourth National Greyhound Week (NGW), in which tracks up and down the country host a range of special events, will be even more meaningful as the celebrations coincide with the sport’s 100th birthday.

Although greyhound racing’s centenary festivities properly got underway last month with the 1920s-themed Gala at Dunstall Park, the licensed sport’s newest track, NGW’s fourth year will open the 100th birthday party celebrations up to communities across the country.

Running from Monday 24th August to the Bank Holiday on 31st August, tracks will be welcoming visitors of all ages and from all walks of life to enjoy a fun day out. Each track will be participating in their own way and will put their own histories and local communities at the forefront of the birthday celebrations.

There will be opportunities for families to meet sporting legends, to quiz on-site vets, trainers and kennelhands about how racing greyhounds are cared for and to support brilliant partner charities who work tirelessly to match our retired athletes with the right forever home. Timed at the end of the summer holidays, there will of course be plenty for kids to enjoy alongside their parents and families, such as activity packs and face painting.

Speaking about the week, GBGB Marketing Manager Cress Lee said:

“We are excited to open up our Centenary celebrations to communities across our licensed tracks. You only get to turn 100 once and being able to share this moment with so many local families, friends and supporters makes the occasion even more significant.

“National Greyhound Week continues to offer tracks a great opportunity to highlight everything that makes our sport so special on and off the racetrack. We know how popular NGW has become and that many tracks enjoy record attendances for the time of year as families make the most of the last of the school summer holidays. The stories of those fans who discovered a love of racing after visiting for the first time during NGW are always lovely to hear.

“Thank you to all licensed stadia for your annual support of National Greyhound Week. I’d encourage everyone to check out what their local track is doing and make sure not to miss out on this year’s events.”