Andy Jarrett will be leading from the front in Gloucester’s ever-popular Santa Fun Run, just as he has done for the past few years.

The annual event is one of the highlights of the festive period in the city and Jarrett has been a major player since its inception in 2017.

The 59-year-old is the lead runner for the hundreds taking part in the 5K and he said: “It’s a fantastic event to be part of, I’m delighted to help out.

“It brings a lot of pleasure to people in the city and makes a big difference to local charities.”

Jarrett, like everyone else, will be dressed in a Santa outfit on the big day and he continued: “My job is to stay ahead of everyone and make sure they have a safe and enjoyable experience.”

The Santa Fun Run, which takes place on Saturday 14th December, will actually be Jarrett’s second 5K of the day, because he plans to run the parkrun in Gloucester City Park beforehand.

That starts at 9am and Jarrett, who lives in Quedgeley, will be dressed as Santa for that, too.

“It’s one of my favourite days of the year,” he said.

Jarrett, who is a member of the Rotary Club of Gloucester Quays, is actually a decent runner. He is a member of Kingsway Runners and Sellars Bridge Striders, having taken up the sport nine years ago.

He’s run a good number of marathons but says 5K is his favourite distance.

The Santa Fun Run gets under way from Kings Square at 10.30am, with registration at 9.30am.

It is not a race and those taking part have the option of walking, jogging or running a 1K if they prefer.

Matt Cass, the driving force behind the event, is hoping more than 500 people will take part and, at the time of writing, well over 400 people have signed up.

The Glos Santa Fun Run is organised by the Rotary Club of Gloucester, with all money raised going to community projects.

The first Santa Fun Run saw 50 people take part.