Keech Hospice's Santa Run is on Bedford Embankment on Sunday 13 December at 11am: 5k or one 2.5k lap, £10 adults with a Santa suit, £30 for a family.
The Bedford Santa Run is on Sunday 13 December 2026, starting at 11am on the Embankment. Keech Hospice runs it as a 5k fundraiser for the whole family, and the entry fee includes the Santa suit. Entries are open now: £10 for an adult, £5 for a child and £30 for a family of up to five.
The quick answer
- Sunday 13 December 2026, 11am, Bedford Embankment. Registration opens at 9.30am, and that is where you collect your suit.
- £10 adult (Santa suit included), £5 child (Christmas headband), £30 family of two adults and up to three children.
- 5k is two laps; you can stop after one lap (2.5k), and walking, buggies and dogs on short leads are all welcome.
What the day involves
From Keech Hospice’s event page:
- Start: 11am on the Embankment. Most people finish within about an hour.
- Registration: opens at 9.30am. Suits and headbands are handed out on the day only, not posted, so allow time to change.
- Course: about 5km over two laps, entirely on hard paths, which Keech says makes it suitable for wheelchairs and mobility aids. One lap of 2.5km is fine too.
- Who can enter: anyone. Under-16s must be with an adult. Dogs must be on short leads, and running buggies are welcome.
- At the finish: a medal and a mince pie.
- Fundraising: optional, but anyone who raises more than £100 gets a Keech bandana.
- Refunds: none, but you can transfer your place to someone else by emailing events@keech.org.uk.
Entries are through Keech’s registration page. Bedford Borough Council’s park events calendar also lists the Keech Santa Run on 13 December, at the Embankment and Mill Meadows. It is the only event the council has booked on its parkland for December.
Prices
| Entry | Price | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Adult | £10 | Santa suit |
| Child | £5 | Christmas headband |
| Family (2 adults, up to 3 children) | £30 | Suits and headbands |
Keech says the fee covers the cost of staging the event, and asks runners to raise sponsorship on top.
Parking and watching
Keech points drivers to on-street parking along the Embankment and nearby streets, where Blue Badge holders can park, and says disabled bays may be available first come, first served. It will be a Sunday, when council-owned town centre car parks are free all day: see our parking in Bedford page. Supporters can watch anywhere along the route, or volunteer as marshals through eventsvolunteers@keech.org.uk.
Other ways to meet Father Christmas in Bedford
- The Higgins Bedford, Saturday 12 December: Imajica Theatre’s North Pole Elves storytelling show, for ages 3 to 8, free, at 1pm and 2.15pm. Places are limited and booking opens after October half term, according to The Higgins’ family events page.
- The Christmas lights switch-on in Harpur Square in late November: the 2026 date is not set; see our Christmas lights switch-on page.
- Winter Wonderland in Bedford Park: its own website still shows the 2024/25 season, which ran from 30 November to 5 January with a grotto, ice rink and big wheel. It has published nothing for 2026, and it is not on the council’s 2026 park events calendar.
Still to be confirmed
- Winter Wonderland: whether it returns to Bedford Park this year.
- The Higgins’ elves show: booking opens after half term.
For the rest of December, see the Jack and the Beanstalk pantomime at the Corn Exchange and our Christmas bin collections page.
Have your say