The Santa Fun Run for Naomi and Jack's starts outside the Guildhall at 9am on Sunday 6 December. Adult entry is now £23 or £25, and sign-up closes 2 December.
Winchester’s Santa Fun Run is on Sunday 6 December, starting at 9am outside the Guildhall on The Broadway. It raises money for Naomi and Jack’s, the children’s and young adults’ hospice charity at Sutton Scotney, about seven miles north of the city.
Runners can do a 5k loop of the city centre or a shorter 2k route. The charity’s event page says registration closes at 11.30pm on Wednesday 2 December.
What it costs now
Entry went up on Saturday 7 November, when the charity’s last price band began. These are its prices from 7 November to 2 December.
| Ticket | With Santa t-shirt | Without t-shirt |
|---|---|---|
| Adult, 16 and over | £25 | £23 |
| Child, 5 and over | £20 | £18 |
| Under 5 | Free, no t-shirt or hat | Free |
The box at the top of the event page still says “£13 - £20”. That range is from earlier price bands. The table further down the same page gives the prices above for anyone signing up now.
The fee covers the Santa hat, t-shirt and medal. The charity asks every runner to raise at least £50 in sponsorship on top, and its FAQ says fundraising is expected on the 2k route as well.
The charity has swapped its Santa suits for Santa t-shirts, which it says can be worn again.
How the morning runs
The charity’s FAQ for runners sets out the timings.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 7.45am | Collection of t-shirts and runner numbers opens at The Brooks Shopping Centre loading bay |
| 8am | Event village opens on The Broadway, with music |
| 8.50am | Warm-up in front of the Guildhall steps |
| 9am | Fun run starts |
Latecomers cannot run. The FAQ says anyone who misses the 9am start “will not be able to take part for health and safety reasons”.
The 5k is about three miles and starts and finishes outside the Guildhall. The 2k runners follow the crowd and turn back at the end of College Street. You do not need to tell the organisers which you are doing. The run is not timed, and a back walker follows the last runner, so walking is fine.
Practical points from the FAQ
- Collect your number early if you can. The charity is running collection days through November and will list them on its participant hub. On the day, the collection point is The Brooks loading bay (what3words ///mural.valley.lands).
- No bag drop and no changing rooms. Come dressed in the t-shirt with as little as possible.
- Dogs are welcome on leads, at the back of the group.
- Pushchairs and wheelchairs can do the route. The charity suggests joining at the back.
- Places cannot be transferred. If you drop out, your fee becomes a donation.
- Sponsorship cash can be handed in at the information desk at the bottom of the Guildhall steps, in an envelope marked with your name, runner number and the amount.
- Spectators are welcome.
What it means for you
If you want to take part, sign up before 11.30pm on 2 December on the charity’s event page. An adult with a t-shirt now pays £25, so a family of two adults and two children over five would pay £90 with t-shirts, before any sponsorship.
There is no parking at the Guildhall, and the charity points runners to the city council’s car parks. Our parking in Winchester page lists them with postcodes. The run is on a Sunday morning, two and a half weeks after the Christmas lights switch-on on The Broadway.
Who the money goes to
Naomi and Jack’s describes itself as a local independent charity caring for more than 600 seriously ill children, young adults and their families (Naomi and Jack’s, about us). It runs two hospices on Stockbridge Road at Sutton Scotney:
- Naomi House, for babies and children up to 18
- Jack’s Place, for young adults aged 16 to 35
The charity says it offers short breaks, end of life care, therapeutic support and bereavement support, with services available 24 hours a day, every day of the year. It is registered as The Wessex Children’s Hospice Trust, charity number 1002832.
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