Runners took to the street for Preston’s annual Santa Dash for festive fun and fundraising.

The Santa Dash attracted a host of participants to the Flag Market with the younger crowd joining in with the Reindeer Run.

Jamie McNeela completed the course as part of a group: “It’s a good cause and gets you out of bed first thing on a Sunday morning.

“We run at a few events throughout the year so it can be difficult to ask the same people for money but you can guarantee money will be raised today.”

The under nines ran their 750m course first, followed by the 5km run for older participants.

The money raised will be donated to St Catherine’s Hospice.

John Bracken, a St Catherine’s Hospice volunteer of four years, said: “It’s a great cause and although you hope you’ll never ever need their services, you just may do, so it’s my way of giving back. It’s in the order of millions to run the hospice throughout the year so every bit goes to help out.”

For further information on volunteering for St Catherine’s Hospice see here. (http://www.stcatherines.co.uk/fundraisinghtml/volunteering.htm)