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Festive fun in Liverpool as
Santa Dash 2015 is officially launch!
Photos by Patrick Trollope.
THE race is now
on for Liverpool to retain the title as the world's biggest festive fun run when
it hosts the event on Sunday, 6 December 2015!
BTR Liverpool, organisers of the increasingly popular Medicash Santa Dash
Liverpool, was officially presented with the Santaz trophy, on Monday, 17 August
2015, by the organiser of the Great Santa Run, in Las Vegas, USA.
Liverpool won the World Santa Challenge last December on its 10th Anniversary,
when 8,500 Santas took part in the festive spectacular; making it both the UK's
and the world's biggest festive fun run. The City took the title from Las Vegas
which has held the honours since 2011.
Linda Smith, Associate Executive Director of Las Vegas charity Opportunity
Village, made the trip to Liverpool especially to present the trophy to the BTR
Liverpool team, with whom she has built a strong partnership in recent years.
The official launch revealed Medicash as the title sponsor for this year's
event, which will be known as The Medicash Santa Dash Liverpool 2015.
The presentation took place in the City's Goodness Gracious roof garden at the
Oh Me Oh My, on Water Street; under the gaze of the iconic Liver Birds.
Guests including Santa enjoyed mince pies from The Albion Bakehouse and spiced
tea from Oh Me Oh Me; making it a real festive launch in August!
Linda presented the Santaz trophy to BTR Race Director Alan Rothwell, who
started the Liverpool Santa Dash in 2004 with 2,000 participants. In 2007, the
event was expanded to also include a fun run just for children with the 1K Mini
Dash. And in 2010, blue Santa suits were introduced due to public demand.
The Medicash Santa Dash Liverpool continues to grow in popularity and is now
seen as the official start to Christmas in the City, taking place on the first
Sunday of December each year.
The 5K fun run starts at Pier Head Liverpool on the City's world UNESCO World
Heritage Site waterfront in front of the Three Graces. The route takes Santas
through the City centre, before finishing outside Liverpool Town Hall.
The Medicash Santa Dash Liverpool 2015 is on Sunday, 6 December 2015 and already
800 red, blue and mini Santas have signed up.
BTR Liverpool is the leading independent organisation for creating, managing and
delivering headline race events in Liverpool City Region. Its growing portfolio
includes the Vitality Liverpool Half Marathon and Tour Of Merseyside.
BTR Race Director Alan Rothwell commented:- "It's an absolute honour to
receive the Santaz world title trophy on behalf of the 8,500 blue, red and mini
Santas who took part in last year's event. We feel very privileged Linda has
made the journey from Opportunity Village to hand over the trophy; well it has
been in Las Vegas since 2011 so it's about time it came back to Liverpool. The
Liverpool Santa Dash is a real spectacle. Nothing matches the sight of seeing
thousands of Santas gathering at the Pier Head on race day. Then later seeing
them spend the day enjoying the City, still wearing their Santa suits and
proudly displaying their medal. So join us for the 11th annual event with our
new title sponsor Mediash. Let's smash last year's total and keep the Santaz
trophy and title in Liverpool; where it belongs!"
Last year's event attracted Santas from across the country, travelling to the
City specifically to enjoy the festive fun run. There was also an international
flavour with overseas participants from America (Pennsylvania, New York),
Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Norway, Slovakia, South
Africa and Switzerland all sharing the experience.
Linda Smith, Associate Executive Director of Las Vegas charity Opportunity
Village, added:- "I am absolutely delighted to be back in Liverpool to
present BTR with the Santaz trophy. I've experienced the Liverpool Santa Dash
for myself and it's a very special event, the sights really are unbelievable and
people go to so much effort on the day. Liverpool really deserves the title this
time, but we're not beaten. The challenge is on to win it back for Las Vegas."
Title sponsors Medicash were established in Liverpool over 140 years ago. The
organisation has a corporate and individual membership of over 170,000, making
it one of the oldest and most established healthcare cash plan providers in the
UK.
Andy Abernethy, Medicash Marketing Manager, said:- "We are delighted to
become the title sponsor for The Medicash Santa Dash Liverpool 2015. This is a
terrific opportunity for Medicash and we are looking forward to working with BTR
Liverpool to raise the profile of one of the City's most enjoyable and
established events on a local, national and international platform. We are
committed to promoting health and wellbeing, and this event is the perfect
introduction to fitness, running and improving your lifestyle. So join us to
walk, jog or run in The Medicash Liverpool Santa Dash 2015; it's going to be a
fantastic day."
The official charity partners for The Medicash Santa Dash Liverpool 2015 are
Claire House Children's Hospice, Radio City's Cash For Kids, Everton in the
Community, Jospice, and the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation; who are the 5 BTR
Footsteps Fundraisers charities.
The BTR Footsteps Fundraisers initiative is a fundraising partnership which
brings the charities together to benefit financially through BTR's key race
events over a 12 month period by encouraging participants to fundraise and
support them.
Fundraisers can collect a sponsor form from the BTR Liverpool office at:- 23
Hatton Garden, Liverpool, L3 2FE; or you can set up your own online fundraising
page at:-
EveryDayHero.Co.UK; where all funds raised
will be split equally between the 5 charities.
Next in the BTR race calendar is the 26 mile Whistle Stop Tour Of Wirral, takes
place over 11 September to 13 September 2015, which also incorporates the BTR
Wirral Half Marathon, on 13 September 2015.
BTR recently won the title of Event Of The Year at the Wirral Tourism Awards
2015 for the Wirral ˝ Marathon/10K.
Click on
here to see more photographs taken at this event.
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