St Richard's Hospice Santa Dash is Sunday 13 December: 2.5km or 5km round Worcester Woods, start 10am. Adults £14, or £16.50 with a suit; under-16s £8.
St Richard’s Hospice holds its Santa Dash on Sunday 13 December 2026, a fun run round Worcester Woods that starts and finishes at the hospice on Wildwood Drive, WR5 2QT. Registration opens at 9am and the dash starts at 10am. You can do one 2.5km lap or two to make 5km. Tickets are on sale now on the hospice’s Ticket Tailor page.
The quick answer
- When: Sunday 13 December 2026. Registration from 9am, warm-up, then the start at 10am; the event runs to 11.30am.
- Where: St Richard’s Hospice, Wildwood Drive, Worcester, WR5 2QT, on a lap of Worcester Woods.
- Distance: 2.5km (one lap) or 5km (two). It is not timed and not a race.
- Tickets: adults £14, or £16.50 with a Santa suit; under-16s £8 with a Santa hat; under-4s free. No booking fee.
- Parking: free at County Hall’s lower car parks, with marshals.
- Is it on this year? Yes. The 2026 date, prices and FAQs are published by the hospice.
Tickets
These are the prices on the hospice’s Ticket Tailor page, read on 18 October 2026. Every ticket includes a medal, a mince pie (or an alternative) and the festive Zumba warm-up.
| Ticket | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Adult without Santa suit | £14 | Medal, mince pie, warm-up |
| Adult with Santa suit | £16.50 | Santa suit, medal, mince pie, warm-up |
| Under 16 | £8 | Santa hat, medal, mince pie, warm-up |
| Under 4 | Free | Medal, mince pie, warm-up |
The suit-free adult ticket is there to cut waste: the hospice asks regulars to reuse suits from earlier years, and says any festive outfit is welcome. The ticket covers the cost of the event. The hospice suggests a sponsorship target of £100, through its JustGiving campaign or a paper form from appeals@strichards.org.uk (St Richard’s Hospice FAQs).
Prices are up a little on last year. For the 2025 dash, on Sunday 14 December, the hospice charged £16 for an adult with a suit, £13 without and £7 for under-16s (St Richard’s Hospice, 1 December 2025).
On the day
- 9am: registration opens, then a festive Zumba warm-up with Aimee.
- 10am: the Santa Dash starts. Santa and his sleigh are there courtesy of Worcester Lions Club.
- At the finish: a Santa Dash medal and a festive treat. The hospice café, The Green, sells hot drinks and breakfast baps.
The route, kit and dogs
From the hospice’s Santa Dash FAQs:
- Terrain: pavement and woodland path, which “tends to be very muddy at this time of year”. Wear running shoes, “no fashion trainers”.
- Wheelchairs and pushchairs: the route starts and finishes on a paved path, but after rain the woods may be difficult going.
- Dogs: well-behaved dogs are welcome on a lead, and you can add a doggy accessory to your booking.
- Water: bring your own refillable bottle; none is handed out on the route.
- Bags: there are no lockers or bag storage.
- Toilets: at the hospice and at Worcester Countryside Centre.
- Spectators: welcome.
Parking and getting there
The hospice says free parking is at County Hall’s lower car parks, with marshals to guide you. Our parking in Worcester page covers the city car parks if you are heading into town afterwards, and Worcester roadworks and travel has any closures that weekend.
More Christmas in Worcester
The same weekend, Santa is at the Commandery on 12 and 13 December and at Hartlebury Castle on 12, 13, 19 and 20 December; see our Santa’s grotto page and Hartlebury Castle at Christmas. The Victorian Christmas Fayre is the weekend before, 3 to 6 December.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Worcester Santa Dash 2026? Sunday 13 December 2026, starting at 10am from St Richard’s Hospice, Wildwood Drive. Registration opens at 9am.
How much is the St Richard’s Santa Dash? Adults £14, or £16.50 including a Santa suit. Under-16s are £8 with a Santa hat, and under-4s are free.
How long is the Santa Dash? One lap of Worcester Woods is 2.5km; two laps make 5km. It is not timed.
Where do I park for the Santa Dash? Free parking is at County Hall’s lower car parks, the hospice says.
Sources
- St Richard’s Hospice, Santa Dash tickets on Ticket Tailor, read 18 October 2026
- St Richard’s Hospice, Santa Dash FAQs 2026, last updated 12 August 2026
- St Richard’s Hospice, Santas set for fun-run in support of hospice, 1 December 2025
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