Entry has opened for the annual Christmas Cracker 10k race held at Weston.

ENTRY has opened for the annual 10k Christmas Cracker race at Weston. Runners of all abilities are encouraged to sign-up for the event which always sells out fast.

This year’s race takes place on December 6 at 11am, and all runners are encouraged to wear fancy dress, or at the very least a piece of tinsel.

The route starts at the Grand Pier and covers a flat course along the beach, through Uphill and back along the prom before ending on the beach again at the Pier.

Race director Malcolm Gammon, who organises the race on behalf of Weston Athletic Club said: “The Christmas Cracker is our biggest race of the year, and as well as attracting the area’s top athletes, I am always hugely impressed by the efforts our runners go to with their fancy dress costumes and fundraising efforts.

“The route remains the same as last year, as we had good feedback on the changes we made, and every finisher will receive a technical t-shirt as well as their well-earned mince pie.”

For the first time this year, there will also be a 2k run called the Mini Cracker strictly for younger runners taking place at 10am ahead of the main race.

Rob Skeen from Weston Athletic Club is behind this new idea and said: “We’re keen to do something this year so that younger runners can get more involved. We’ve got a lot of young people locally who are really getting into their running, so we’re pleased to be able to offer them a race all of their own.”

The Mini Cracker is open to runners aged seven to 15 and entry costs £1. Race entry details are on Weston Athletic Club’s website at www.westonac.co.uk/christmascracker

As in previous years, the race will be run to support Weston Hospicecare, and participants will be encouraged to raise sponsorship money too.

The fundraising manager for the charity said: “Last year’s event raised an incredible £10,000 for Weston Hospicecare. This was made up of £5,000 from Weston Athletic Club, £1,000 from the Santas in Training group, and the remaining £4,000 came from the fantastic runners who chose to raise money for the hospice.”

Last year’s event also saw the club donate £2,050 to four other local charities.

Weston Athletic Club will also be organising a 10k training programme this autumn in the run-up to the event to help runners prepare for the race.

Jim Wotton from the club organises the programme: “Last year we helped 50 runners, many of whom had never run before, and some who were lapsed runners, to develop their confidence, fitness and technique with the goal of running the Christmas Cracker at the end of the training programme. Most of them achieved this, and they’ve all carried on this year to enjoy running on a regular basis.

“I really would encourage anyone who would like to get into running, by working towards an achievable goal, to get in touch. It’s a great way to get started at the same time as a large number of other people who are all in exactly the same position.”

The Christmas Cracker training programme will begin on September 27 with sessions every Monday evening at 7pm, and optional sessions every Saturday at 8am. A charge of £30 will be made at the beginning of the course and all the profits will go to Weston Hospicecare. All the coaches and leaders from the club give their time freely.

Entry for the race is available at www.westonac.co.uk/christmascracker and anyone wanting to sign-up or find out more about the pre-race training programme should contact Jim Wotton by email at jim.wotton@westonac.co.uk or by phone on 01934 814208.