for those who love the outdoors
1 December, 2023
A five-year-old boy from St Helens will be the guest of honour at the milestone 20th staging of the BTR Liverpool Santa Dash on Sunday 3rd December.
The festive spectacular takes place on Sunday 3 December 2023 – starting at 9.30am at Pier Head Liverpool. The event is highly regarded as the city’s official kick-start to Christmas.
The iconic, world-famous waterfront will be transformed into a sea of thousands of red, blue, and mini Santas for the annual event.
Alder Hey Children’s Charity is the Official Event Charity Partner for the BTR Liverpool Santa Dash 2023. And there is still time to get involved and support the charity’s incredible work.
Funds raised by Alder Hey through the event will support its work to transform young lives through state-of-the-art equipment, facilities, and ground-breaking medical research.
The very first Liverpool Santa Dash took place in 2004, and it is now thought to be the UK’s biggest festive 5K fun run.
Last year a staggering 5,500 dashing Santas took part in the day’s two festive fun run events – the main Santa Dash 5K and 1K Mini Dash.
Over 4,000 Santas have already signed up. Organisers are keen to pass last year’s number to mark the first of two celebratory years.
Blue places have now sold out. Entries will remain open until Saturday 2 December at the pop-up shop in St Johns Shopping Centre.
Alder Hey patient Lincoln is aged five and has undergone open-heart surgeries at the world-class children’s hospital in Liverpool. His infectious enthusiasm and positivity has made him shine – and he has been chosen to represent the charity at this year’s Liverpool Santa Dash.
Lincoln will be guest of honour on the day with his family Mum Tanya, Dad Mathew, and brothers Deacon, Mac, and Jaxon. He will be taking part in the 1K Mini Dash – supported by Ader Hey mascot Oli the elephant who will be taking part in the main dash.
Santas can support the charity by fundraising or making a one-off donation. The charity’s Santa Dash fundraising campaign for 2023 has already passed the £4,000 mark.
Santa Dash charity places are still available, full details can be found at https://www.alderheycharity.org/events/latest/liverpool-santa-dash/
Talking about Lincoln’s experiences with Alder Hey, Mum Tanya said:
“Lincoln has a complex Congenital Heart Defect and Heterotaxy Syndrome RAI and has been under Alder Hey’s care from day one. We’ve had an amazing experience with Alder Hey, especially the cardiac team and ward staff who have looked after him during his numerous stays and appointments so far. We can’t thank them enough for the time they have given us with him, with hopefully many more to come.
“Lincoln is just the happiest boy and is always smiling. He’s also very cheeky, loving, and caring, with an amazing personality. He is finally in a good place – and even excited when he knows he's coming to Alder Hey again.”
Alder Hey Children’s Charity’s aim is to deliver a fun-filled and positive experience for families, often at the toughest times, by raising money for innovative projects and creative activities. Thanks to generous donations, the charity has proudly pioneered life-saving treatments and provided comfort for young patients and their families.
Adam Dixon, Running and Challenge Manager at Alder Hey Children’s Charity, added:
“We are so excited to once again be the Official Charity Partner for the BTR Liverpool Santa Dash. We always look forward to the event as it really is the start of Christmas and gets us all in the festive spirit – and our mascot Oli will also be on the start line! Alder Hey is close to the heart of many Santa Dash participants with most local families having a connection to our hospital. Funds raised will help benefit the 330,000 patients and families we treat at Alder Hey every single year.”
Santa Dash participants or supporters can fundraise or make a donation on the Alder Hey Liverpool Santa Dash official giving page at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/santadashah23
The BTR Liverpool Santa Dash was created by BTR Race Director Alan Rothwell. Over two decades, the event has continued to evolve.
In 2007, a 1K Mini Dash for youngsters aged 12 and under was added to the day, while blue Santa suits were introduced in 2010 due to public demand. The 5K route was changed in 2018 to include Royal Albert Dock Liverpool after the Churchill Flyover in Liverpool city centre was demolished.
The 5K route starts from Pier Head Liverpool, passing through the Grade I Listed Royal Albert Dock Liverpool estate, winding its way through the city centre, before a grandstand finish line featuring stilt-walking festive characters and ‘real’ snow outside Liverpool Town Hall.
The Lord Mayor Of Liverpool, Councillor Mary Rasmussen, officially opened the pop-up shop. The Lord Mayor will be cheering on Santas on the day.
The 1K Mini Dash is for youngsters aged 12 and under. It starts at approximately 11am in Castle Street, once all Santas in the main Dash have cleared the course. The youngsters follow a similar city centre route before crossing the finish line outside Liverpool Town Hall.
As the Santa Dash and Mini Dash participants pass Moorfields Train Station on Dale Street, they will be greeted by the sights and sounds of Liverpool drumming band Katumba.
The Santa Dash pop-up shop in St Johns Shopping Centre is open every day through to Saturday 2 December for Santa suit collection, registration, as well as stocking official BTR Liverpool Santa Dash merchandise.
The shop is located on the lower level of St Johns Shopping Centre near the Matalan bridge and Post Office. Opening times are Monday to Saturday from 9.30am to 5pm, and Sunday between 11am and 4pm.
Radio City is the Official Event Media Partner. Leanne and Scott from the Radio City Breakfast Show are supporting the event. Leanne will take part in the main Santa Dash.
Arriva North West is supporting the event for the sixth time with free bus travel across Merseyside on Santa Dash day. To claim complimentary bus travel to or from the city centre, Santas must be wearing their Santa suit and race number on the morning, or their Santa suit and finishers’ medal when travelling home. There is no cut-off time to travel after the event.
BTR Liverpool is the leading independent organisation for creating, managing, and delivering headline running events across Liverpool City Region. Its extensive portfolio covers various distances across different terrains, all with an ongoing commitment to sustainability.
The BTR event calendar also includes the BTR Tour Of Merseyside, BTR Liverpool Half Marathon, and BTR Mersey Tunnel 10K.
The Liverpool Santa Dash entry fee covers all costs to organise and deliver the event including road closures, safety measures, Santa suits, medals, goody bags, and entertainment.
Entries are open online at https://www.btrliverpool.com/santa-dash-event
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