Chester Santa Dash, Sunday 6 December 2026: a 3.75km walk or run from Queens Park Road at 10am, Santa suit and medal included. Prices and what is still TBC.
The Chester Santa Dash is on Sunday 6 December 2026, starting at 10am from Chester International School on Queens Park Road in Handbridge. It is a 3.75km walk, jog or run through the city in Santa suits, and it raises money for The Hospice of the Good Shepherd and The Countess Charity, the Countess of Chester Hospital’s charity. Entries are open now.
The quick answer
- Date: Sunday 6 December 2026, 10am to noon
- Start: Chester International School, Queens Park Road, Handbridge (CH4)
- Distance: 3.75km. It is not a race: walk, jog or run
- What you get: a Santa suit (ages 5 and over) and a finisher’s medal
- Cost: the September super early bird was £20, under 5s £5; the 2025 price was £25. Check the entry page for today’s price
- Still to come: suit collection details and any road closures
All of this is from the hospice’s own Chester Santa Dash 2026 entry page on Ticket Tailor, checked on 9 October 2026, unless we say otherwise.
What it costs to enter
The entry page still shows only the September Super Early Bird, which it says was available “for 1 week until the 7th of September”:
| Entry | Super early bird | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Adults and children aged 5+ | £20 | Santa suit and medal |
| Children under 5 | £5 | Finisher’s medal, no suit |
That week has passed, and the page does not say what the price is now. For a guide, the hospice’s 2025 entry page charged £25 for adults and children aged 5 and over, and £5 for under 5s, with the same suit and medal. Expect something close to that, and see the price at checkout before you pay.
All under 16s must be with a paying adult. Entry is online, through the hospice’s Ticket Tailor page.
The route
The dash starts from Chester International School on Queens Park Road, south of the river. The hospice’s 2025 page described “a brand-new starting point that takes you over the stunning Dee Bridge”, so the field crosses the Old Dee Bridge from Handbridge into the city. The 2026 page gives the distance as 3.75km and says the route runs “through the city centre”, with entertainment along the way. It has not published a turn-by-turn map for 2026.
Santa suits and the morning itself
Every entrant aged 5 and over gets a Santa suit to wear on the day. The hospice says suit collection details “will be shared closer to the day”.
The start is at 10am and the event window closes at noon, which leaves plenty of time for walkers. Many people dash in memory of someone, and the hospice encourages teams of friends, families and colleagues.
Road closures
Closing roads for the dash needs a temporary traffic order from Cheshire West and Chester Council. The council published one for the 2025 dash, but that order has since been taken down from its website, and no 2026 order had been published when we checked on 9 October 2026. We will add the 2026 closures here as soon as the order appears.
If you are driving into Chester that Sunday morning, check Chester roadworks and travel first, and see parking in Chester for the car parks nearest the river. The Christmas market will be open in Town Hall Square the same day; our Christmas market page has its hours.
Who it is for
The money goes to two local causes: The Hospice of the Good Shepherd, which runs the event, and The Countess Charity, the charity of the Countess of Chester Hospital. You do not need to be a runner; the hospice’s own words are “walk, jog, run, or stroll at your own pace”.
What we will add
Suit collection times and place, the current entry price, the 2026 road closure order and the route map, as each is published. This page will be updated in November.
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