The race starts and finishes at the famous Weston-Super-Mare pier. High tide at Weston was 8.30 am so you can guess by race start time 11.00 am the beach was still very wet. Fancy dress is positively encouraged. So over 2000 runners wearing various Christmas themes is bizarre. The route consists of running up and down the beach for about 6 k, where supporters have ample opportunity to cheer on their friends and family, then a further 3 k on closed roads and a final 1k along the beach to the pier. Although the run was mostly on wet sand, it was quite firm and of course flat. The race hq was at the local college, about 500 metres away from start/finish, and tee shirt and mince pie collection was well organised. At the post race presentation, a cheque for £10,000 was presented to race local charity Weston Hospice. I also discovered I was over 3 minutes slower than the first male vet 70!