He sees you when you're running!
In case Speedos aren't your thing and you won't be doing the Santa Speedo Run in Annapolis on December 14, just remember: you can still dress up in a full Santa suit in St. Michaels, Maryland, that very same day.
The first-ever Santa Dash kicks off a giant Christmas parade in the bayside town this weekend. About one mile long, the race hosts runners and walkers from Perry Cabin Park and Sports Complex on North Talbot Street and down the parade route.
Christmas in St. Michaels
St. Michaels is the Christmas town of the Eastern Shore. First of all, they have a PERMANENT Christmas store on the main drag of their cute local shops. Second, they have this Christmas festival every year, which this year, is being held December 13–15. The organization that hosts the festival (aptly named Christmas in St. Michaels) works as a nonprofit to aid the "quality of life for the residents of the Bay Hundred community." The festival sounds amazing.
We've got gingerbread CREATIONS!
Gingerbread birdhouse. Courtesy of facebook.com
We've got a holiday market!
Courtesy of facebook.com
And, of course, we've got the holiday parade!
Courtesy of facebook.com
Which is, of course, where the Santa Dash comes into play.
The Run
Less of a race and more of a way to spread some cheer, the Santa Dash kicks off promptly at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday December 14, as the start of the parade. You can feel like a parade grand marshall and look like Santa. Registration is $35, but includes an adult- or kid-sized Santa suit. Don your suit, don your holiday spirit! Lace up your running kicks and take a mile-long trot down sweet Talbot Street. Hundreds of holiday enthusiasts will line the sidewalks to cheer you on! Hot chocolate and a prime spot to view the rest of the parade await you at the finish line.
A mile-long run is a great way to get the blood flowing, your energy up, and your metabolism kicked in so you can take full advantage of breakfast with Santa or the sweets at the holiday Marketplace and Sweet Shoppe. According to the organization that sets up the festival, proceeds from ticketed events go toward helping the community. So not only is your registration fee purchasing your Santa suit, it's also helping the locals! Plus, the people who aren't lining up to run the dash are probably drawn to seeing a gaggle of Santas running down the street. If that's not a sight for sore eyes, I don't know what is!
In addition to the run, there are lots of other things to do and see at the Christmas festival. This is an event you definitely don't want to miss. So start your morning off right: put on your Santa suit, go for a jog, and then check out the rest of the events. The residents of St. Michaels are big on decorating, so I recommend doing a post-race cooldown in the residential areas. Leave your Santa getup on! You'll fit right in!
To sign up for Santa Dash, click here.
The Run-Around is a weekly feature, focusing on fitness in and around Annapolis, MD.