Welcome to the website of the Great Skipton Santa Fun Run
The first Skipton Santa Fun Run took place in 2010, comprising a 5 kilometre route around Skipton, starting and finishing at Aireville Park. 400 runners, joggers and walkers young and old took part in the inaugural event, to raise money for Sue Ryder Manorlands Hospice, Martin House Hospice and other local charities
For more information go to What’s it all about
Despite the atrocious weather of the previous few days, on Sunday 30th November, blue skies and bright sunshine greeted 2,500 people, both young and old, who came into Skipton High Street to take part in the 16th Great Skipton Santa Fun Run.
Organised by the Rotary Club of Skipton Craven, in association with Skipton Town Council, and as a precursor to the switching on of the Christmas lights later in the day, runners and walkers set off on a 5K route that took them through Aireville Park and then into the muddy Skipton Woods, emerging through the top gate of the woods on the Bailey to complete the final kilometre via Regent Road and Otley Road back to the High Street. Wheelchair users took a shorter 3k route through Aireville Park and back to the High Street via Coach Street and Swadford Street.
This year has been exceptional, in that we achieved our target of 2500 participants and received record support from 43 Commercial Sponsors.
This 16th Great Skipton Santa Fun Run raised a total of £73,005, through entry fees, anonymous donations and charitable donations by teams and individual participants. This is an incredible achievement and reflects the continuing success of this annual community event, which began in 2010 with 400 participants. Since then, the number of participants has increased to 2,500, and we have raised a grand total of £601,544.
This event takes a lot of planning, which involves many organisations and individuals, not least the Team at Skipton Town Council, colleagues at Skipton Craven Rotary and Skipton Rotary and our 43 Commercial sponsors whose financial contributions have considerably reduced our operating costs.
We needed a minimum of 50 officials on the day, so I we are most grateful to our fellow Rotarians not just from our Club but also from several other Clubs, their spouses, Friends of Rotary, the Skipton Freemasons, Modality Partnership, Manorlands and Marie Curie for helping us out on the day.
And finally, to Lesley Tate at the Craven Herald and the Team at Your Skipton Radio for some wonderful coverage over the years.
Sadly, all good things do eventually end; we are a small Club with an ageing membership, and some key players are wanting to stand down. But fortunately, our friends at Skipton Rotary have come to the rescue, thus ensuring the future of The Great Skipton Santa Fun Run.
Watch this space!