By Leo Takahashi0
Checking her rearview mirror just to make sure.
Released from midfield at Lumen Field, Banana broke into a dead sprint across the turf.
The halftime showdown took place during the Seattle Seahawks matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, where the 21-pound, 5-year-old Pembroke Welsh Corgi was defending her crown in the annual Seahawks Corgi Cup. With little white paws churning at full tilt, Banana surged out ahead of the pack and looked set for an easy cruise across the goal line.
Just strides from victory, Banana drifted slightly sideways, swung her head over her shoulder, and shot a quick glance back to see where everyone else was. Satisfied that her lead was completely safe, she turned forward again and trotted across the finish line—sparking instant comparisons online to Usain Bolt’s legendary glance back at his rivals during the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Watching that momentary pause gave owner Anne Pham a quick jolt of panic. “When I saw her look back, I was like ‘Oh no, it’s over, she’s distracted,’” Pham recalled in an account reported by iHeartDogs.
Defending the title took some serious logistics. Pham and Banana moved from Seattle to New York City in September, but they were not about to miss the championship. The pair flew across the country so Banana could run in front of the Seattle crowd, driven toward the end zone by Pham waving an oversized plush banana toy—the secret motivation behind Banana's racing success ever since her 2023 debut at Emerald Downs.
After clinching her second consecutive Corgi Cup trophy, Banana and Pham caught a red-eye flight back to New York that same night. By Monday, clips of the sprint had spread so far that the champion popped up on Pham's own social feeds. “She would pop up and I was like, ‘Wait, that’s my dog,’” Pham said with a laugh.
For dog lovers who enjoy pure competitive humor, Banana's sideline celebrations and training routines continue on her personal page at @banana.corgi.