Colne Valley Running Santa

01/10/2026

🎅🎄 The training began in September! 🎄🎅

In just under 2 months, Colne Valley Running Santa will be back lighting up the streets in the run-up to Christmas, spreading festive cheer while raising awareness and funds for our local food banks! ❤️

🥫 Colne Valley Help, based at The Civic, Slaithwaite
🥫 Cowlersley Community Support, based at Storth House CIC

🏃‍♂️ 226km covered this month! 🔥

Training has taken place in Alicante 🇪🇸, Benidorm 🇪🇸 and, of course, right here in the beautiful Colne Valley! 💚

It’s all about getting those legs and the body ready for the challenge of running 10km dressed as Santa, covered in lights and carrying a Bluetooth speaker! 🎅🔊✨

👀 Have you spotted Running Santa out training during September?

📸 Here’s a look at some of the highlights from his September training adventures!

Every kilometre brings us closer to Christmas and helps support our amazing local food banks. ❤️🎄

🎅🎄🏃‍♂️❤️

31/08/2026

🎅🏃‍♂️ RUNNING SANTA 2026 — RAISING AWARENESS! 🎄🔔

The Colne Valley Running Santa Campaign has been raising funds for our local foodbanks for 6 consecutive festive periods! ❤️🎅

But I’m still regularly asked:

🏃‍♂️🎅 Why do you do it?
🏃‍♂️🎅 Are you doing it to raise funds?
🏃‍♂️🎅 How far do you run?
🏃‍♂️🎅 Where do you run?
🏃‍♂️🎅 How long have you been doing it?

And I’ve also been told that I need to do a better job of raising awareness… because apparently some people just think I’m a crazy person who runs 10km every day dressed as Santa, wearing flashing lights and a Bluetooth speaker blasting Christmas music! 😂🎅🔊💡

So, while I was away on holiday, I had a good think and made some decisions about how I can promote the campaign better this year. 👏

🎄 DECISION NUMBER ONE — RAISE AWARENESS WHILE TRAINING! 🎄

So, when I’m out training and getting my body used to the 10km Santa Dash route, I’ll be wearing Huddersfield Town’s (festive) red away kit, with RUNNING SANTA 26 on the back! 🔴⚽🎅

That way, hopefully, a few more people will know what I’m doing before the big man himself appears on the streets towards the end of November! 😆

So if you see me out running, feel free to stop me, say hello and ask any questions you have about this year’s campaign! 👋🎅

I’m more than happy to tell you all about it, why I do it, where I run, how far I run, how the fundraising works and, of course, why I’m daft enough to do it every festive period! 😂

It might only be the last day of August…

…but it’ll soon be CHRISTMAS! 🎄🎅🏃‍♂️🔔

Running Santa 2026 is coming! ❤️

27/08/2026

After two weeks of running in 30c+ Spanish Heat! 🇪🇸🥵

The training for this Christmas’s Colne Valley Running Santa begins! 🏃‍♂️🎅

Only 90 Days to go until the 2026 Running Santa Campaign! 📆⏰

This will be the 7th Santa Dash Campaign, raising Awareness & Funds for our Local Community Foodbanks; Colne Valley Help located in The Civic, Slaithwaite & Cowlersley Community Support located in Storth House CIC! 🫶

05/08/2026

Thank You Very Much to the Huddersfield Junior Football League for supporting me and donating £2,000 to Colne Valley Help from their 2025/26 Season Funds! ⚽️🤝

This will really help support the food bank further and give me a boost as preparation will start with training in September for the 2026 Colne Valley Running Santa Dash Campaign! 🏃‍♂️🎅

👟⚽❤️ We would like to say a very heartfelt thank you to the Huddersfield Junior Football League who have very kindly donated £2,000 to Colne Valley Help in support of Colne Valley Running Santa. This money will go a long way to help us support families in the Colne Valley who are struggling. 👟⚽❤️

If you would like to become one of our regular donars and help us be more financially sustainable you can do so here 👇
https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/become-a-friend-of-colne-valley-help

If you or anyone you know need our help then you can find the details of our two weekly food shares here 👇 https://colnevalleyhelp.org.uk/help-with-food

If you would like to know how else you can support us please follow this link to our website 👇 https://colnevalleyhelp.org.uk/how-to-support-us

09/04/2026

Here’s a further insight into the other community projects which take place when Running Santa isn't completing his festive Santa Dash Campaign. 🏃🎅

Grassroots football doesn’t just happen - it’s built by people who give up their time, energy, and lives to make it possible.In this episode, Rohan sits down...

05/01/2026

Firstly, I would like to thank everyone who supported Colne Valley Running Santa throughout the 2025 – 200km Santa Dash Campaign! 🎅🏃‍♂️

Running Santa completed 20 x 10km Santa Dashes, covering an incredible 200km, collected five trolleys of food and essential item donations, and raised a total of £3,426.40 💰🛒🎅

Fund Breakdown:
• £3,060.00 raised via Crowdfunder
• Crowdfunder transaction fees: £111.21p
• VAT: £22.39p
• Net total from Crowdfunder: £2,926.40p

In addition to this, Running Santa also received an agreeement of a separate £500 donation, resulting in an additional £250 payment each to:
• Colne Valley Help
• Cowlersley Community Support / Storth House CIC

Funds Distributed:

Colne Valley Help will receive:
• £2,176.40p
• An estimated £633.50p in Gift Aid to be claimed from HMRC

Cowlersley Community Support will receive:
• £1,250.00

I will complete the official sign-off for the 2025 campaign with a thank you video over the next couple of days 🎬🎥

However, I wanted to share this update now to provide full transparency and proof that all payments have already been made from Running Santa’s side. Full payments were issued to the food banks before the final Crowdfunder balance of £249.87 had even been received.

Once again, thank you all for your continued support. I hope this post clearly demonstrates that throughout the six years of this fundraiser, Running Santa has absorbed all costs, re-donated equipment expenses, and never taken a single penny from the funds raised for our local food banks.

💰That brings the 6th year total to £23,426.40p 👏🤝🫶

Linthwaite Football Club Pride In Linthwaite Huddersfield Hub

26/12/2025

This Morning was the 21st 10km Run in December. 🏃‍♂️‍➡️

However, today was different, there was no Santa Suit, no Flashing Lights, no Christmas Music. 🎅💡🎶

It was a change not to also wave while running and not have cars beeping at me. Thats the beauty of Running Santa he vanishes like Christmas Magic. 🏃‍♂️🎅

Donate Here:
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/colne-valley-running-santa-2025

21 Down, 0 To Go! 🏃‍♂️‍➡️🎅
210km’s Completed. ✅
0km’s still to go. 😅
£3,000 Raised. (91% of target) 💰

In LinthwaitetHuddersfield Junior Football LeagueuLinthwaite Football ClubuColne Valley HelplStorth House CICIC

25/12/2025

🎅 Merry Christmas! 🎄

A huge thank you to everyone who beeped, waved, and donated to this year’s Running Santa Campaign 🏃‍♂️🎅

While there’s often a lot of negativity in the world, everything about this campaign has shown just how positive, generous, and supportive our community truly is. 🤝👏

Running Santa woke up this Christmas morning with sore feet and an aching body—but most importantly, with a very warm heart. 🫶

The funds raised and food donations collected will help those who need it most this Christmas and, hopefully, give them a strong start heading into 2026.🤗

200km completed ✅
0km to go 🥳
£2,799 raised — 93% of target 💰

A special thank you to Cllr Matthew McLoughlin and Colne Valley Help for opening your doors for our walkers yesterday and for the incredible support throughout the campaign.🤝

There’s still time to donate 👇
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/colne-valley-running-santa-2025

You can also help by sharing Running Santa’s posts and spreading the word! 🙌

Linthwaite Football Club Pride In Linthwaite Huddersfield Hub

24/12/2025

This Morning was the 20th 10km Santa Dash of the 2025 Campaign. 🏃‍♂️‍➡️🎅

It was great to see the members of community & members of Linthwaite Football Club joining Running Santa on the last trolley dash of the 2025 Campaign. 🛒🏃‍♂️🎅

To say this year wasn’t supposed to happen the support was amazing. 🫶

I’m sad it’s ended, but extremely happy it’s over for another year, my body is in bits, I’m now going to hide the pain with lots of Guinness 🍻

Thank you again to everyone who joined us this morning, donated food/items and have donated throughout the campaign. 🤝

Please don’t forget Running Santa has Ran/Walked 200km’s in December, raising awareness & funds for our local food banks; Colne Valley Help & Storth House CIC.🤝

It would be amazing if we can get the donations over £3,000 😅🙌

Donate Here:
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/colne-valley-running-santa-2025

20 Down, 0 To Go! 🏃‍♂️‍➡️🎅
200km’s Completed. ✅
0km’s still to go. 😅
£2,644 Raised. (88% of target) 💰

Pride In Linthwaite Huddersfield Hub Linthwaite Football Club

24/12/2025

Heading through Linthwaite village now towards Cowlersley, as we enter our final 3km of the walk for 2025!

I cannot thank you all enough for the donations, waved and beeps!