Santa Clauses running to Town

The runners gathered at Pembroke at 11am and set off at about 11.30am. The run was started by seven-year-old twins Mya and Emilia Leale. Under-12 runners joined the event at Bulwer Avenue and then everyone ran to the finish line at the Market Steps in Town.

Charity founder Linda Garnham said they normally had about 800 people taking part. But this year around 1,000 signed up in advance and more than 200 signed up on the day. She was thrilled everything was able to go ahead.

‘We are privileged being able to do this type of event,’ she said.

Organisers would struggle to put on such an event in the UK due to coronavirus. But the only masks at Pembroke yesterday were Santa beards and festive extras.

Among the Santas were work colleagues Nikki Carrington and Tiegan James.

‘We’ve only started doing runs this year,’ Mrs Carrington said.

‘So this is our first Santa run.’

Not everyone was in a Santa suit. Sisters Sarah Boyd and Helen Streeting donned festive leggings, with Mrs Boyd wearing elf leggings.

Her husband is a keen runner, but Mrs Boyd has only just started taking up the sport. She said he had been giving her helpful tips and joked it was nice for him to childmind and try and get the finish line photograph, while she ran for a change.

Danny Legg was running with his one-year-old cavalier King Charles spaniel Ronny, who was also dressed in his own Santa suit. He said the Santa outfit was not the easiest one to run in, with the beard a particular issue.

‘This is my first time taking part,’ he said.

‘It’s just a bit of fun. Ronny is quite fast – he will be my pacemaker.’

Mark Haggarty donned a reindeer costume for his run. He has done the event in unusual outfits before, but he said the reindeer one was quite difficult to run in.

‘I like to do something a bit different. It’s a bit of fun for the children and you do get cries of “Rudolph!”’

A number of dogs took part, including three Alaskan malamutes, who were in their element in the cold December wind.

Nicola Brouard was running with eight-year-old Sammy.

‘They love a good run,’ she said.

‘It’s perfect – the colder, the better.’

While charity Aid Reaching Children has often helped young people overseas, this year’s event will be helping support children affected by cancer.

n Visit the Guernsey Press Facebook page to see a video of the start of the race.