The 9th PENNY Santa Run broke a record

By: Trademagazin Date: 2024. 12. 09. 11:44

The 9th PENNY Santa Claus Run took place in Budapest on December 8th with the largest field of all time and record participation. Three thousand two hundred people set off from Fővám Square dressed in Santa Claus costumes for one of the three distances. The spectacular race of the red-clad runners was followed and photographed by a multitude of interested spectators, tourists and Budapest residents along the route. The 9th PENNY Santa Claus Run also set a record in charity: the participants of the race contributed enough donations for several months to the success of the “Bring a Gift to the Puttonyba!” campaign, which was launched by the Budapest Sports Office and PENNY to help children living without parents in SOS Children’s Villages.

Thanks to the organizers, the participants of the 9th PENNY Santa Claus Run set off on Sunday in artificial snowfall, dressed to the nines in Santa Claus costumes and in a lively atmosphere. Entrants came from more than 340 Hungarian towns and 41 countries, and as a novelty this year, the organizers made the experience of exercise memorable forever with a medal at the finish line, and of course, the runners also received a Santa Claus costume.

After major cities around the world, such as Tokyo, Liverpool, Stockholm or Las Vegas, the red-clad run is becoming increasingly popular in Budapest. The interest in the event on December 8 was so great that the number of participants was already full a few days ago. The largest field in the history of the competition, organized by the Budapest Sports Office, a total of 3,200 Santas, started the fun run, promoting the importance of exercise and bringing smiles to the faces of interested spectators, who rewarded the red-clad running caravan with applause.

The organizer, the Budapest Sports Office, designated the distances so that even hobby runners or even families with small children could complete them. There were three distances to choose from: the most persistent Santas could start at 5 km, the slightly more relaxed ones at 2.3 km, and families with small children at 1 km. Due to the huge amount of interest in advance, two races had to be announced for the latter.