Christmas Run: Aberdeen Santa Run 2015

Hello!

Welcome to another post about a running event! My last post on running was published  back in September, when I participated in the Night Run just before I left Lithuania, and you can find it here. Since then, I have literally been jogging only 3-5 times, so I wasn’t in my best shape for this run. Nevertheless, I had a great time and I want to share my experiences with you!

Aberdeen Santa Run 2015 was an annual charity run organized by WildHearts charity. This was obviously my first Santa Run in Aberdeen (since I’ve only moved there 4 months ago) as well as my very first Christmas Run in general (although, I think I will participate in a Christmas-y Run in my hometown of Kaunas when I get back to Lithuania for a Christmas break). Speaking about Santa Run in Aberdeen: all the proceeds from this event went to the aforementioned WildHearts charity and will help to fund various projects that this charity undertakes. Next weekend, a different WildHearts Santa Run will take place in the nearby town of Inverness, so, if you are in the area, I highly suggest that you participate! It’s not only a fun afternoon activity but a great charity event for an amazing cause!

I, personally, found out about Aberdeen Santa Run through Facebook and instantly decided to register. The standard payment for the run/donation was 15£. For this price, upon arrival, all the participants received a full, one-size-fits-all type of Santa Suit (trousers, jacket, hat, beard and  belt, which I have lost while running) and a number card. After the run, all the runners received a commemorative medal, a goodie bag with snacks (caramel bar, coconut chips, yogurt raisins and shortbread cookie) and a bottle of water. The youngsters could participate for a cheaper price -10£- they received a special event T-Shirt, a hat, and a number.

The run started outside the Pittodrie Stadium and the route ran  by the beach and the seafront. Throughout the whole run, I could  see the North Sea, so, from my running experience, this was definitely the run with the prettiest view. Having said that, running by the sea was not easy because of the harsh wind! However, the sun was shining the whole time and there were zero clouds in the sky, so it was a nicely balanced weather.

The organization for the event was really good, except for one mishap with the first turn in the route. All the runners (725 runners participated in the run) divided themselves into two groups and took two different paths, however, we managed to join back into one crowd fairly quickly. The whole mass of runners was also accompanied by a group of men in Santa costumes on motorbikes – that was an amazing spectacle as well.

I was quite happy with the time that I’ve managed to finish the distance in. This event wasn’t meant to be a serious competition. It was just a super fun Sunday afternoon, doing something good both for one’s own health and a bigger cause. It also helped me to get into a Christmas Spirit.

If you want to find more information about the event, you can click here. Bellow, I have also included a few photos from the actual run, a photo of the Santa Suit, a number and the medal. The snacks are already in my stomach, so I can’t show you those!

Have a great week!