I can't be the only person who saw the Santa's Fun Run and jumped at the chance. So who else has signed - or is intending to sign - up for this 5K fun run in Marlow in the first weekend in December? If the official website is anything to go by, it looks like great fun.

I've managed to talk a mate into it, and am hoping to get a few more interested before the day.

I'm there - have done it once before and it's quite a laugh.  Wear your santa suit with pride and confuse the local Marlow residents popping out to get their papers - they generally think they've had one too many the night before!!

Looking forward to it - oh, also (if you're interested) not a bad course for a pb even in a white fluffy beard!  

It will, by definition, be a PB for me. I've never done anything other than plod around my neighbourhood.

Hope to see you there.

Quite fancy this: does anyone know what the course is? Suggests its all road running until you get to the park? Do they close roads or are you jostling with pedestrians through the town?

Iask cos I'm likely to be at the back and dont want to get lost....yes Ive done that before too!

From what I remember you leave the park and head off through a little industrial estate onto a dual carriageway type road - then off through a residential bit, through another park where (I think) there were allotments etc. then back through the main part of town and back through the park.

Do you know, I can't remember whether the roads were closed of not, but certainly there didn't seem to be any problem with cars - in fact, it was old boys collecting their papers who you were more likely to collide with!!

Certainly when I did it 2 years ago, it was more about the fun part of it than a real racing environment.  I don't think there were published times afterwards so it pays to time yourself if you're interested.

It was just a laugh really - it's a nice place, and if it's a nice morning it's a bit of fun!!

Ginntonix - there is NO way you can get lost - just follow the blur of red and discarded hats and beards in front of you - I do!!! 

Jumile - it'll be a great first race for you - see you there! 

Sounds good.

If I get my race number before the day, I'll post it here. Then comes the challenge of identifying me amongst 200-odd Santas.

Hi Folks,  I'll join you.  Sounds a bit of a laugh.  Quite glad it's not longer than 5k - could be a bit of chafing going on !

I'd like my costume before the day.  Do you reckon they would send it to be if I put a stamped package in with my entry?

They sent them out automatically last year, RLTW.

RLTW - If I'm reading your profile right you're a girl (I am SO sorry if you're not - but you might be interested in this anyway!)

Also, any other girls listening - the best thing to do with nasty chafing Santa pants is to cut them off at the (incredibly long) gusset and make them into a funky mini-skirt!

Practical and cool too!

Unfortunately, can't think of anything to do with the beard - from experience it just gets torn off as soon as the sweat comes, and Marlow is littered with white cotton wool beards afterwards! 

Do you HAVE to wear the trousers? Want to enter into spirit of the thing by wearing jacket but want to run in comfort( need all the help I can get!)

My OH is happy to run but not to dress up. Lets hope it isnt raining as there will be lots of bedraggled Santas looking very red if the dye runs!

Are we there yet - Yes - girl.  I was thinking the trousers might be rather long.  I was considering either lopping a chunk off or using elastic bands round the ankles. I was gonna wear my thigh length running shorts under them too. I hope it's a nice crisp day.

ginntonix - In the pics from last year lots of people were only wearing the top.  Would your OH consider wearing reindeer antlers/ears?  It says that if you don't have the santa outfit you should try to enter into the spirit of the thing.  What about a tutu?  Quite a few costume type bits would fit the bill but not encroach on running ability too much.

Ginntonix - Fairy wings would do the trick and not be cumbersome - I did that one year because I didn't think I'd be "lucky" enough to get the costume but didn't need them in the end.

RLTW - It's not that the trousers are long particularly (well not on me but then I am 6 foot!!), it's just the gusset that's so long - you end up doing a bit of a Dick VanDyke - Mary Poppins penguin thing if you're with me!!

With many thanks to one of the organisers of the run, I now have an image of the route. So I've just spent 10 minutes putting it onto MapMyRun.com for those who are interested:

MapMyRun: Santa's Fun Run

For those with a Forerunner, Google Earth, etc, you can save it as *.CRS, *.GPX or *.KML. Or print it out... how 20th century.

Thanks Jumile

Will pass on to other friends who hope to do it. Not sure about the bit on the dual carrageway though, hope the traffic is quiet. Could be rather surreal if you were just driving through and see 200 odd santa legging it along the road!

I assume you're mean the A404? If you look at it carefully, you'll see it actually goes along Parkway - it runs parallel to the A404. That half of the run is in a quiet industrial estate.

Some of Parkway is visible from the A404, so I assume the M4/Maidenhead to High Wycombe traffic will still wonder what on earth is going on.

Not sure about anyone else, but I was pleasantly surprised on Sunday to hear my doorbell ring and find a chap holding my running pack. He'd hand-delivered it to Caversham; and the same was true of a mate who lives in central Reading.

Definitely not complaining, though... it means I can think about the whole legging/chafing considerations before the day!

Oh yes... I'm number 95.