For the 6th year running, people in Lincoln will be reaching for their Santa suits and making their way to Steep Hill, all in aid of charity.
During every Christmas period for the past five years, you may have noticed a rather large gathering of Santa’s who have been not-so-secretly meeting at the top of Steep Hill, amongst the picturesque area of the city. This is due to the ever so fun and festive event, the Siemens Great Santa Fun Run.
Organised by the Rotary Club of Lincoln in aid of the St. Andrews Hospice, the British Heart Foundation Lincoln, Samaritans Lincoln, the Siemens Charity and other local charities, its main aim is to achieve as many competitors as possible, raising as much money as possible.
The event is exceptionally popular and this year will see the 6th year of Santa’s gathering. Kimberley Howroyd, who is the Senior Purchasing Administrator at the Running Imp, (the running event suppliers) is very proud of the run becoming so popular, “I believe the popularity is down to the fun aspect of the event. The charities chosen are always local charities that are close to many people’s hearts.”
This popularity is proven by the amount of participants the event usually receives; near-enough reaching the 1,500 capacity every year and raising a total of £109,376 so far, it certainly seems like a fun and effective way to create money for something you really care about.
As well as raising money for your favourite charity, it’s also a great way to get a bit of festive exercise – before all of the Christmas turkey – as the event is a two lap course, approximately 3.5 km around the Bailgate and Castle Square area.
Although, don’t get scared off by the idea of having to run two laps around the city, as the Santa Fun Run is intended for everybody. You can walk, jog, push pushchairs or even take the dog – nobody misses out!
As this is the 6th year of the run, the organisers are trying to create a new record and raise more money than ever. Kimberley believes this goal shouldn’t be too difficult to reach, “This year we’re encouraging participants to raise a minimum of £20.11 each, and with the event usually reaching between 1,200 and 1,500 participants it shouldn’t be too difficult to raise a new maximum amount.”
This is not only a reasonable amount to ask for, but it also ties in with the event’s tagline for the year – ‘Run in 2011, Walk in 2011, raise £20.11.’