St Catherine's Santa Dash hailed as 'huge success' as more than 400 runners take part

On Sunday, hundreds of Santas joined the race to support Saint Catherine's Hospice.

Open to people of all ages, the event saw runners set off from the Sealife Centre, dash along the seafront to Hairy Bob’s skate park and swiftly turn around to dash back.

Those wanting to push themselves could choose to add an extra 5 miles by doing it twice.

Fran Kitson, Marketing Manager at St Catherine's said: "It was a really great atmosphere, the weather was amazing and I think a lot of people took advantage of the fact they had free entry to the Sealife Centre.

"We had heaps and heaps of children taking part, doing the 2k route and a lot of families running together holding hands which was lovely to see. It was a really good day."

The Santa Dash is one of St Catherine's most famous fundraising events, helping to raise over £15,000 for patient care.

Talking about the event's popularity, Fran said: "It's something that appeals to everyone. There's nothing like it on the coast. This year we had a lot of people running with tick timers trying to beat their personal best but whether you take it seriously or not, you're dressed in a Santa suit so it's good fun, it's festive. You can either run or walk and this year we had someone juggling.

"It's very accessible which is why it works so well."