Terry steps in to keep Santa race running

THE organiser of an annual December fun run has vowed to come to the rescue of the Great Scottish Santa Fun Run.

The Evening News revealed last week that the annual charity event, which regularly attracts more than 1500 people wearing Santa suits, is to be axed as part of plans to scale back the Capital's Christmas celebrations.

Now the organiser of the annual Edinburgh Christmas Run and Edinburgh Christmas Walk has provided a lifeline for the event, which raises money for the When You Wish Upon A Star charity.

Terry Crossley, who last year stepped in to save the Great Scottish Walk after organisers pulled the plug on it, has offered to let the children's charity raise funds through his own event, which starts and finishes at Inverleith Park.

Mr Crossley, 67, said: "It's a shame they can't get funding for the event but if nobody does it they can't put it on themselves. We already put a great event on. It seems appropriate that we are now able to ask them to join us. "Whoever they were going to run for they can run or walk for with us. They get to choose their own charity if they want.

"We resurrected the Edinburgh Christmas Walk three years ago and it's now an annual fixture. It's a beautiful walk along the Water of Leith and back into Inverleith Park.

"We got over 1000 last year and I think the Santa Run usually gets over 1000 and we can easily accommodate that."

The Great Scottish Santa Run had become a fixture of Edinburgh's Christmas programme in recent years and saw 1500 people in Santa outfits run, jog and skip their way around the 1.5 kilometre route in West Princes Street Gardens. But it emerged last week that the programme was being scaled back because of reduced funding from the council and from sponsorship revenue.

As well as the Santa run, all Santa-themed events in West Princes Street Gardens are to be axed this year, including Santa and the reindeer garden and the Santa Express train line.

The decisions came after last year's event went 100,000 over budget.

Mr Crossley's events, which include a six-mile walk, 5km run and the smaller Tinsel Mile walks, attracted 1000 competitors last year. He is now hoping for a record number of entrants this year.

He said: "It does make sense to have one event like this on the first Sunday of December. When it gets too close to Christmas, people have shopping to do but this gets the Christmas season started."

The event is funded by 60 charities that sponsor it, although entrants can still raise money for other charities.

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