Exeter Santa Run 5k
Exeter, Devon
6 Dec 2026
⚠ Start times change frequently. Always check with race organiser or their website for this year's confirmed start time before travelling.
Course map
Map adapted from official race's website
Elevation profile
About this race
The Exeter Santa Run starts and finishes at St James Park, home of Exeter City Football Club, on Stadium Way in the heart of the city. Runners take on a road-closed course through nearby city streets, dressed in festive Santa suits for a fun, family-friendly atmosphere rather than a competitive time trial. Two options are offered on the day: a shorter 2.5km family fun run and a full 5km route for those aged eleven and over, both departing from the same city-centre base. The course is flat and run entirely on tarmac roads closed to traffic, making it accessible for walkers, joggers and runners of all abilities. It is not a chip-timed event, with the emphasis placed firmly on participation, festive spirit and raising money for charity rather than finishing times. The run is organised annually by Exeter City Community Trust.
Course profile & record eligibility
World Athletics record-eligibility rules cap net elevation loss at 1m per km of race distance, and require the start and finish to be no more than 50% of the race distance apart — both meant to stop a course gaining an unfair edge from downhill grade or a point-to-point tailwind. This is based on this course's recorded elevation and GPS data, not an official measurement or certification.