More than 2,000 Santas took over the streets of Budapest on the 8th Penny Santa Run

At one of BSI’s favorite events, little, big, grown-up and old Santas enjoyed the joy of movement and running together. At the event, every participant received a Santa suit and hat along with their entry, so the cheerful field dressed in red presented a truly fantastic sight during the run. Pedestrians turning around Fővám tér yesterday could watch the Santa Claus crowd snaking through downtown Pest and on the wharf for several minutes, which, with the Danube bridges in the background, presented a fantastic sight. Entrants could try 3 different distances to try out what it would be like to be Santa Claus, if the children’s favorite completed the round-the-world one-night challenge by running instead of on a sleigh. The 980-meter distance was intended for the smallest and families, while the organizers awaited slightly older and occasional runners at 2.3 km. And the more experienced could try out what it would be like to complete the classic 5-kilometer running distance in a Santa costume and with a beard.

Participants came to the event from 261 domestic settlements, but runners from other nations were also present, 31 countries were represented. More than 60 children from the Japanese community in Budapest were at the start. Regarding the gender ratio, it appears that the Santa profession is slowly feminizing, as 57% of the participants in this special event were women. Of course, the namesake of the event, PENNY, is also represented on the run; the retail store chain stands at the start line with a team of nearly 100 people.