Runners Celebrate Lithuanian Freedom with Parkrun in Vilnius’ Award Winning Green Spaces

A special parkrun event in Vilnius, part of UK-founded global running community, marked the Day of the Restoration of Independence of Lithuania on 11 March and attracted 150 runners from the UK. The run allowed participants to experience what makes Vilnius the world's second greenest city.

Vilnius’ parkrun community marked the Day of the Restoration of Independence of Lithuania with a special 5 km parkrun event. Local and international participants took part in the parkrun not only to commemorate Lithuania’s independence, but to experience Vilnius' award-winning nature which is responsible for its second-placed ranking in the latest Green City Index 2026.

Vilnius is recognised as the world’s second greenest city by the Green City Index 2026, a ranking which takes into account the percentage of greenery in each city, share of accessible public green space and air quality. It is unsurprising, therefore, that Vilnius scores highly, only second to Oslo, as 61% of its area is dedicated to green space and a dense forest canopy covers nearly half the city.

“In recent years parkrun has become a perfect occasion for local people and international visitors to celebrate together in active and green surroundings. It is no surprise Vilnius has embraced the parkrun initiative, as green spaces are an important part of the city’s identity,” says Eglė Girdzijauskaitė, Head of Communication at Go Vilnius.

Founded in 2004, parkrun is a UK-founded grassroots initiative that organises free, weekly 5 kilometre timed events for runners and walkers, typically held in public parks on Saturday mornings. What started as a handful of people then has since grown into a global community of 12 million registered individuals in 22 countries. parkrun events are volunteer-led, open to all abilities and emphasise community participation and wellbeing rather than competition.

“Vingis parkrun in Lithuania for their extra event for Independence Day. A beautiful parkrun, even though icy in parts. Also a fabulous city to spend a few days - so much to explore here. Legs are wrecked from all the walking, says Orna O’Beirne, one of the participants from Ireland, who came to Vilnius especially for the event.

The first parkrun event in Lithuania started in 2024 and in just over two years, there have been 110 weekly events organised, with more than 7,000 participants. This growth is consolidated with new parkrun events in other towns and cities planned to start in 2026. The popularity of parkrun in Lithuania is in large part thanks to the abundance of quality green spaces in towns and cities across the country. Discovering such places through running, an expression of freedom itself, is the perfect way to celebrate Lithuanian independence.

The availability of green space in Vilnius is not only recognised in the Green City Index but also in the election of Vilnius by the European Commission as European Green Capital in 2025.

“According to Google Trends, interest in the search term ‘greenest city in the world’ has surged by over 9,900% in the past year, signalling that nature-first travel is set to boom in 2026,” continues Girdzijauskaitė. “Travellers are seeking destinations that blend city exploration with the peace of mind and well-being normally associated with rural getaways.”