Santa "Fun" Run

A few months ago, my classmate Sarah told me about this amazing event in Dublin: the first weekend in December, you can get dressed up in a Santa suit and run a 5K along Clontarf – who wouldn’t want to do that?! As many of you know, I am not a runner, but I figured I could handle a 5K and hey, you get a “free” Santa suit with the entry fee, so why not?

Well…it turns out that the run is along the beach of Bull Run Island, which is a bit different than running on pavement. We got there nice and early since the nearest stop on public transportation was about 3 – 5K away from the starting line and we weren’t entirely sure where we were going, but it was easy enough to find and it was good to get out and breathe in some fresh (if a bit chilly) seaside air. Still, by the time we arrived to pick up and put on our suits, we were a bit chilly and less enthusiastic than we had been when we booked the adventure months before, so decided to take a few pictures jumping up and down for warmth and pre-race entertainment.

That was before the wind picked up and the rain came. The combination of splashing along through the puddles on the beach as I tried not to trip on my “one-size-fits-all” Santa pants, carrying my bags and camera on my back really wasn’t quite my cup of tea (and all along I really just wanted a hot cup of tea!), but the Santas of all shapes, ages, and sizes running along did provide some good entertainment and upon reaching the finish line, I was awarded a pretty cool Santa medal that combined with the hysterical ho-ho-ho-ing along the way made the day memorable, if not one I care to repeat anytime soon. I think for next year, I’ll leave the real Santa to do the deliveries in the future while I sit by a fire awaiting his arrival warm and dry and in clothes that fit me.