Santas on the Run Plym Valley Railway 2025
Fun runs
Santas on the Run Plym Valley Railway 2025
Kindly sponsored by
Experience the magic of a festive train ride and fun run at Plym Valley Railway
All aboard the Lord Oliver Brown steam locomotive for this Santa run with a difference. Don your festive fancy dress, sit back and enjoy Christmas entertainment as you are transported to the start line of our sponsored 3k. Make special memories this Christmas while raising vital funds for families supported by our 3 hospices, including Little Harbour. We ask each participant to commit to raise £30 as an individual or £86 as a family.
- Train ride on the Lord Oliver Brown steam locomotive
- Santas on the Run isn’t a timed race, it’s for everyone to complete at their own pace
- Christmassy stops include snow station, selfie with the elf, sweets and treats and festive songs
- Collect your stamp card from Santa's Grotto and stamps along the route to exchange for your medal at the finish line
- Competitions for the best fancy dress; dig out your favourite festive outfit or pyjamas, dress as your favourite Christmas character or even create your own costume
There are just 120 places available per wave. Spectators and dogs are ONLY permitted at the race start line at Plymbridge. Join our Santas on the Run Plym Valley Railway Facebook event to keep up to date with all the latest event news and updates.
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Super Santa Saver
- On sale until midday on Friday 3 October
- Adult (16+) £9.80, Child (3-15years) £4.90 Child (Under 3) Free
Elfie Early-bird
- On sale until midday on Monday 3 November
- Adult (16+) £11.20, Child (3-15years) £5.60 Child (Under 3) Free
Festive Full price
- On sale until midday on Wednesday 26 November
- Adult (16+) £14, Child (3-15years) £7 Child (Under 3) Free
What's included
- Finishers medal
- Train ride aboard the Lord Oliver Brown steam locomotive
- Unlimited Christmas cheer
- Festive treats, festive entertainment and stalls
We're here to help
If you'd like to find out more about Santas on the Run Plym Valley Railway just click the 'ask a question' button to send Kiley, one of Santa's elves, an email or give her a call.
About the Lord Oliver Brown steam locomotive
The train transporting runners to the start line is a very special locomotive restored in memory of Christmas-loving Oliver Brown. Oliver died at Little Harbour in November 2019 from an extremely rare form of blood cancer, Myelodysplasia Syndrome. His family have been fundraising in Oliver’s memory for the past 6 years.
Pictured: Oliver's parents, Nicola and Mike and his brother Benjamin with the Lord Oliver Brown steam locomotive
The 5-year restoration of this steam locomotive has been a labour of love, with everyone involved keeping Oliver’s fun and mischievous character at the front of their minds to get the engine back up and running.
Festive fundraising for our families
Every year, Santas on the Run raises vital funds to ensure that local babies, children, young people and their families can continue to receive the care they need now and in the future.
We ask each participant to commit to raise £30 as an individual or £86 as a family.
- 🎅 £30 could help fund our 24-hour phone line so that even at Christmas, every call is answered.
- 🎅 £86 could help fund 1 hour of care for a family at one of our hospices at Christmas and all year round.
- 🎅 £100 could help provide a parent with an uninterrupted night's sleep, to give them the strength to face tomorrow
How to fundraise
We will be sending a postal fundraising pack with your runner number and with all printable downloads to you, however kick start your fundraising early by:
- Set up a JustGiving and share with friends and family on social media
- Join the Facebook event for festive fundraising ideas
- Hold your own festive themed event like a cake sale, Christmas quiz or raffle
- Collect spare change and add to your festive coin collection card
Your fundraising truly makes a difference to the more than 500 families we are currently supporting this Christmas - every penny counts.
Fundraising tools
Set up your online fundraising page
Save yourself the hassle of collecting your sponsorship money. It's quick, easy, secure and the donations will come straight to us.Text to donate
Text TRAIN followed by your donation amount to 70460 to give that amount.
- To donate £30 text TRAIN 30 to 70460
- To donate £86 text TRAIN 86 to 70460
Texts will cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message.
The difference your fundraising makes
Oliver loved visiting Little Harbour with his family
Christmas loving, cheeky chappie Oliver from Plymouth was diagnosed with an extremely rare blood cancer and battled with the illness for three years. On Oliver’s first visit to Little Harbour in December 2018, he made himself at home quickly, hosting a Christmas quiz around the dining table for all the staff and other families and sharing his love for Christmas with everyone he met.
What is Santas on the Run?
Santas on the Run Plym is an untimed 3k fun run with a festive steam train transporting you to the start line. Participants of any age can enjoy the Christmas entertainment on board and then walk, jog or run the course dressed in their favourite Christmas-themed costume.
Come as a family, a group of friends, as a team from work, or take part as an individual!
On the course there will be 4 Christmas-themed stations to stop at and enjoy – these are the selfie station, snow station, song station and sweet station.
Festive fancy dress ideas
To reduce the impact of single-use Santa suits on the environment, we don't provide these for free as part of your registration. Instead, we’re asking you to get creative with a Christmas costume! There are prizes on the day for the best fancy dress. We cannot wait to see what costumes you come in. Here are some of our favourite ideas:
- Grab your green face paint and come as The Grinch
- Wear your ‘ugliest’ Christmas jumper, accessorise with a tinsel scarf or fairy lights
- Wear your matching Christmas pyjamas as a family
- Decorate a large box with Christmas paper, add arms holes and come as a present or a cracker
- Add tinsel and baubles to a princess outfit to become a Christmas fairy or add to a green outfit and become a Christmas tree!
- A brown outfit easily becomes a reindeer or Rudoph costume with a little face paint and some horns!
Important information
On the day
We are so excited to be welcoming you to the Plym Valley Railway for this very special Santas on the Run.
We are not accepting on the day registration for this event, so please sign up online before 26 November.
Spectators and dogs are ONLY permitted at the race start line at Plymbridge. Join our Santas on the Run Plym Valley Railway Facebook event to keep up to date with all the latest event news and updates.
Venue
Plym Valley Railway, Marsh Mill station, Coypool Road, Plympton, Plymouth, PL7 4NW
Parking
Free parking is available at Coypool carpark across from the Station - please arrive in plenty of time to park and make your way to the railway in time for your departure.
Wave 1, 10.35 am train departure
- Registration: 10am – 10.30am.
- Train departs: 10.35am prompt
- Warm up: 10.55am
- Race Start time: 11am
Wave 2, 12.05 pm train departure
- Registration: 11.30am – 12pm
- Train departs: 12.05pm
- Warm up: 12.25pm
- Race Start time: 12.30pm
Wave 3, 1.35 pm train departure
- Registration: 1pm – 1.30pm
- Train departs: 1.35pm
- Warm up: 1.55pm
- Race Start time: 2pm
Wave 4, 3.05 pm train departure
- Registration: 2.30pm – 3pm
- Train departs: 3.05pm
- Warm up: 3.25pm
- Race Start time: 3.30pm
When you get home
Add your photos from the day to the Facebook event
Watch our special pre-recorded story “Santa is coming to Plymouth”
On the day competitions
- Best festive fancy dress adult
- Best festive fancy dress child
- Best festive fancy dress group
- Best festive buggy
- Highest fundraiser