Mental Elf Festive Fun Run

The Mental Elf Festive Fun Run returns to Itchen Valley Country Park on Sunday 6 December, Solent Mind's festive 5K that they bill as 'like no other'. It's a fundraiser for mental health services across Hampshire, and the whole thing is open to runners, walkers, skippers, wheelers and dancers of all ages and abilities, so you don't need to be a regular runner to get involved.

The run is as much about the atmosphere as the distance. Participants are encouraged to turn up in festive outfits, and there's seasonal entertainment along the way to keep things lively. It's less of a serious race and more of a community outing, with the festive dress and the entertainment on the course making it a bit of a spectacle.

Rachael Tyler, head of fundraising, communications and marketing at Solent Mind, says it's one of the charity's favourite events of the year because it brings people together in a positive and uplifting way. That's a good summary of the day: a 5K through the park, festive costumes, and money going to mental health services across the county.

It's on Sunday 6 December at Itchen Valley Country Park in Southampton. Whether you're running, walking, or wheeling it, you're raising funds for Solent Mind's work across Hampshire.