Liverpool Santa Dash 2026: date, fees and route

The Liverpool Santa Dash is one of those events that turns the city centre red for a morning, and the 2026 edition is set for Saturday 6 December. It's a non-competitive fun run hosted by BTR Liverpool, with no time limit or timing at all, so it's as much about the costume as the course. The main 5K starts at 09:30 from Canada Boulevard by the waterfront, near the Liver Building, and the Mini Dash 1K for children up to 12 follows later, at around 11:00 from Castle Street.

The 5K route is built for all ages and abilities: it heads past the Tate, through Salthouse Quay, along the Albert Dock and up Leeds Street, before finishing near Liverpool Town Hall. The Mini Dash takes a different path via Lord Street and Stanley Street, finishing at the same point as the 5K, and parents or guardians can run alongside their children for free as long as they register when signing up. A registration fee of £34 is listed alongside the suit prices.

Speaking of suits, the red one is the standard choice at £28 for adults, and the blue version was £30 but has already sold out for this year. For children aged 3 to 8, a red suit is £20 and a blue one £22, while under-3s go free, provided they register and collect a race number to get their medal. The Mini Dash is £15, with children's suits available in sizes 5 to 8 and 9 to 14 in red only, plus a small extra fee when registering online. Groups of five or more should get in touch with corporate@runforall.com, and groups of ten or more get a festive discount. The 5K entry includes a goody bag, a Santa suit for anyone over three, and a finisher's medal; the 1K comes with a children's goody bag, a suit for over-3s, a children's medal and free entry for accompanying adults who register.

Money goes to a couple of good causes. The main charity is Little Lights, formerly Zoe's Place, which was founded in Liverpool in 1995 as the UK's first hospice dedicated to babies and young children, and the event also raises money for Mersey Cares. If you're running, you'll need to collect your race number and suit in advance, as there's no collection on the day. Collection runs from Monday 16 November to Saturday 5 December at either The Metquarter on Whitechapel or St John's Shopping Centre, Monday to Saturday 09:30 to 17:00 and Sundays 11:00 to 16:00, and you'll need your Active registration QR code to pick them up.

A couple of practical notes before you commit. Mersey Travel is the recommended way in, but there's planned work on the Merseyrail Northern Line on the day that will affect travel into the city centre, so it's worth planning your route. On the course, bone-conduction headphones are allowed at low volume. For group enquiries, email corporate@runforall.com, and for the charities, hello@littlelightsliverpool.org.uk and charity@merseycare.nhs.uk are the ones to contact. It's a straightforward morning out, whether you're in it for the medal or just the photo of a few thousand Santas taking over the waterfront.