The Countdown For The Santa Dash At Royal Albert Dock Is On

Entries are open for the 16th annual BTR Liverpool Santa Dash which is the UK’s biggest festive fun run and returns on the 1st of December 2019.

A group of keen runners in Liverpool have donned a Santa suit and pulled on their trainers to mark the 100-day countdown to the UK’s biggest festive fun run.

Highly regarded as the city’s kick-start to Christmas, the 16^th annual BTR Liverpool Santa Dash takes place on Sunday 1 December 2019, which starts at 9.30am from Pier Head Liverpool.

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To mark the 100-day countdown to the spectacular, organisers BTR Liverpool yesterday (Friday 23 August) brought Christmas to Liverpool early.

They invited enthusiastic runners to get into the festive spirit in the Summer sunshine to officially launch this year’s event to coincide with the milestone countdown.

The group all dressed as Father Christmas to enjoy a ride on the carousel at Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, before a dash round the Dock.

This is the second year that the BTR Liverpool Santa Dash – the UK’s biggest festive fun run – will make its way round the Royal Albert Dock Liverpool estate as part of the 5K fun run. Last year, the route changed for the first time in the event’s history due to the closure of the Churchill Flyover in Liverpool city centre.

BTR Liverpool were forced to change the course, and Royal Albert Dock Liverpool stepped in to welcome the event and its thousands of Santas to enjoy the sights of the Grade I Listed attraction as part of the fun run.

Clare Rawlinson, Head of Marketing for Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, commented:“We’re delighted to welcome Santas back to the Dock to mark the 100-day countdown to this year’s spectacular festive event. The BTR Liverpool Santa Dash is just one of the very exciting things taking place at the Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, and it’s great to be part of such a popular family friendly event that so many people enjoy. It’s a real festive highlight for the city.”

First staged in 2004, the BTR Liverpool Santa Dash was created by BTR Liverpool Race Director Alan Rothwell. Three years later, the festive event expanded to also include a separate 1K Mini Dash for under 12s, and was followed in 2010 by the introduction of blue Santa suits by public demand.

Each year, Liverpool is transformed into a sea of red, blue and mini Santas enjoying the inclusive festive experience.

The 16^th annual BTR Liverpool Santa Dash 5K is on Sunday 1 December, starting at 9.30am from Pier Head Liverpool, part of the city’s iconic UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Santas then run through the Royal Albert Dock Liverpool estate before heading into Liverpool city centre and finishing outside Liverpool Town Hall – where finishers’ are greeted by stilt walking characters and ‘real’ snow, before collecting their commemorative medal.

Last year’s BTR Liverpool Santa Dash attracted 7,000 Santas, including participants from France, Gibraltar, Norway, Switzerland and the United States of America.

BTR Liverpool is the leading independent organisation for creating, managing and delivering headline race events across Liverpool City Region. Its portfolio also includes the long established BTR Liverpool Half Marathon which marks its 27th event in March 2020; Port Sunlight Road Race 5K and 10K; BTR Mersey Tunnel 10K; and the 52-mile BTR Tour Of Merseyside.

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BTR Race Director Alan Rothwell commented:“The Liverpool Santa Dash is a real annual highlight in the BTR portfolio – so what better way to launch this year’s event than to mark the official 100-day countdown to the UK’s biggest festive fun run.

“We’re delighted to once again be working with Royal Albert Dock Liverpool, who will be giving our Santas a very warm welcome as they pass through the Dock estate. We received really positive feedback from Santas last year who thoroughly enjoyed taking in the Dock as part of the new route.

“Entries are now open and we’ve already had more than 500 keen Santas who have already signed up for what is highly regarded as the city’s kick-start to Christmas. We hope you’ll join us on 1 December as we turn the city into a sea of red and blue Santas.”

From 1 November, a Santa Dash pop-up will be open seven days a week at St Johns Shopping Centre, where participants can register in person and collect their Santa suit. Full details will be announced shortly. Please note blue Santa suits are limited, register early to avoid disappointment.