Thousands of Santas take over Liverpool for festive fun run

Thousands of people dressed as Father Christmas have descended on Liverpool as the annual festive Santa Dash takes over the city centre for the 20th year in a row.

The city has been transformed into a sea of red as thousands of participants don Santa suits for a festive fun 5km run to support children's hospice Claire's House.

The Christmas tradition began in 2004, and thanks to race director Alan Rothwell it has only grown since - last year's dash drew over 6,100 Santas.

At this year’s event, nearly 8,000 are expected to take on the route, which kicked off at the Pier Head at 9:30am.

The course takes runners through the iconic Royal Albert Dock before heading to heart of the city and finishing off outside the Town Hall.

The running Santas will be greeted by a spectacle complete with characters on stilts and "real" snow.

Among the thousands of runners will be rugby legend Kevin Sinfield as he kicks of his fifth annual ultra marathon challenge ‘Running Home for Christmas’.

As has been the case in previous years, money raised will go to combat Motor Neurone Disease with Kevin Sinfield having already helped raise almost £10 million through similar events.

This year will be more poignant as it is the first to be undertaken since the passing of his friend and teammate Rob Burrow in June.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know...