Don your Santa suit and get running in a Parkrun... on Christmas Day in Hartlepool

A Christmas Day parkrun is being planned in the town at 9am from Maritime Avenue.

Organisers have urged everyone who comes along to get dressed up in seasonal costumes – and perhaps bring mince pies as well for an after-run treat.

The Hartlepool parkrun event organiser Angela Lawlor said: “We have been doing the Christmas Day parkrun for a couple of years now and it will be held from 9am on December 25.

“We are hoping people will come along dressed in their best seasonal outfits.

“We get about 60 to 70 people for the Christmas Day runs and people have told us that they really enjoy it. It is good fun and it is becoming very popular.”

A Hartlepool parkrun is also being planned for Saturday, December 21. It will also start at 9am and Angela said: “Some people might not be able to get along on Christmas Day because they have other things on.

“But perhaps they can get along to the run on Saturday which is our normal parkrun day. It will also be quite festive and we are asking people to run in fancy dress.

“We think there will be a seasonal atmosphere and the volunteers will be getting into the festive atmosphere as well.

“If people want to, they can bring mince pies as well to share afterwards.”

Hartlepool’s parkrun has an average turnout of 130 people each week.

Parkrun is a 5 kilometre event which starts out from Hartlepool Marina, and follows a route towards Seaton Carew and back.

Parkrun is an initiative which encourages people to run 5 kilometres at 9am on a Saturday, on accurately measured routes.

A team of marshals help you to get under way, follow the right course and record your time.

Angela added: “Not everyone runs the course as some people will walk it and that is absolutely fine.”

For those wanting to find out more about parkrun in Hartlepool, visit the website at https://www.parkrun.org.uk/hartlepool.