← Back to Sport & Fitness
🏃 Sport & Fitness

Santa Fun Run

💰 £150–£500 ⏱ 1 Morning 📊 Intermediate

🔒 This guide is free for members. Join free in 60 seconds →

What is it?

A Santa Fun Run is a festive 5k run held in December where every participant must wear a Santa hat or full Father Christmas costume. It is one of the most joyful and photogenic fundraising events you can organise, and it works brilliantly in local parks, school fields, or along a town centre route. The visual spectacle of dozens of Santas running together generates enormous social media attention and encourages donations from bystanders.

What you need

  • A suitable outdoor route of approximately 5km (a local park or school field is ideal)
  • Permission from the landowner or local council if using a public space
  • Santa hats for all participants (buy in bulk from a pound shop or party supplier)
  • A registration system — use Eventbrite for online ticket sales
  • A start/finish banner or arch
  • Medals or certificates for all finishers
  • Hot chocolate and mince pies at the finish line (these can be donated by a local bakery or café)

Step-by-step plan

1
Choose your route and get permission from the landowner or local council at least 6 weeks in advance.
2
Set up an online registration page on Eventbrite. Charge £5–£10 per adult, £3–£5 per child.
3
Buy Santa hats in bulk (or ask participants to bring their own) and include the hat in the entry fee.
4
Promote the event on social media, at school, and in local community groups from early November.
5
Arrange for hot chocolate and mince pies to be available at the finish line — ask a local café or bakery to donate these in exchange for a mention in your promotion.
6
On the day, brief all participants on the route and safety rules. Have marshals at key junctions.
7
After the run, take a group photo of all the Santas and share it on social media to encourage donations from those who couldn't attend.

How to advertise it

  • Share a fun promotional graphic of a cartoon Santa running on Instagram and Facebook
  • Post in local community Facebook groups and school parent groups
  • Contact your local newspaper — a Santa Fun Run is a great festive human interest story
  • Put up posters at local gyms, running clubs, and schools from early November
  • Ask local businesses to sponsor the event in exchange for a logo on the t-shirts or banners

Realistic earnings

With 60 participants at £8 each, you raise £480 before costs. Santa hats cost approximately £1 each in bulk, so your profit on 60 participants would be around £420. Add sponsorship and a hot chocolate station and you can easily reach £500.

Top tips

✅ Offer a prize for the best Santa costume to encourage people to go all out
✅ Partner with a local running club to help with marshalling and route planning
✅ Set up a JustGiving page so that friends and family who can't attend can still sponsor the runners
✅ Take lots of photos and videos on the day — the visual content is perfect for social media and will encourage future donations

Common mistakes to avoid

⚠️ Not getting route permission in advance — this can result in the event being cancelled on the day
⚠️ Underestimating the number of marshals needed — you need at least one marshal per 500m of route
⚠️ Not having a first aider present
⚠️ Forgetting to order Santa hats early enough — they sell out in December