Event Description
Palm Springs Marathon Runners and the Greater Palm Springs Lions Club welcomes you to the SANTA PAWS 5K benefiting Guide Dogs of the Desert. Join one of the biggest gatherings of Santa in the world as you don your 5 piece Santa Suit (included with registration) and spread your Ho! Ho! Ho! over this beautiful 5K course. This is a runner, walker, stroller and doggie friendly event!
Event details and schedule
SANTA PAWS 5K
Benefiting
Guide Dogs of the Desert
Greater Palm Springs Lions Club Presenting Sponsor
Saturday, December 18th, 2021
5K 9AM Start - Jr. IKE Dash follows the 5K
Race location: 332 W. Alejo Palm Springs, CA 92262
Palm Springs Marathon Runners invites you to join us for our annual SANTA PAWS 5K, a dog-loving, fun, run/walk benefitting Guide Dogs of the Desert. We'd like to thank the Greater Palm Springs Lions Club for their continuing support of this event as Presenting Sponsor. We salute our friends at the GPS Lions Club for their continued mission to support the vision needs of our community as well as the goals of the Guide Dog of the Desert organization.
WHAT:
Join us for this one-of-a-king 5K event where every participant can be Santa Claus! Each participant receives a 5-piece Santa suit that can be worn during the event and is then yours for keeps! This includes a jacket, pants, belt, hat and beard.
All participants run, walk or stroll the 5K (3.1mile) route. Strollers and doggies are welcome! Following the 5K, we off a 200 meter Elf Dash for children 10 and under. Entry for the kids' event is $10 and includes an elf hat, t-shirt, event button and Ben and Jerry's ice cream certificate for all participants.
WHERE:
Follow a fast and flat course (well, mostly flat...there is one little hill..but then the downhill to the finish is awesome) beginning in the Temple Isaiah parking lot at 332 West Alejo, Palm Springs and following a quiet and scenic route through the iconic Las Palmas neighborhood.
WHO:
Everyone is welcome! Runners, walkers, strollers, doggies - come one - come all for a great morning filled with holiday cheer and lots of Ho! Ho! Ho's! Too lazy to come and run? Sign up for the Scrooge category and you can hide under the covers and still support a wonderful cause! Out of town that day? Sign up as a virtual runner and we will mail you your complete outfit and you can race with us from anywhere on the globe! (even the North Pole)
WHY:
Get into the Christmas Spirit and help support Guide Dogs of the Desert, a 501c3 charity that provides trained guide dogs at no cost for the blind and sight impaired as well as assistance dogs for those with seizures, Autism or PTSD.
REGISTRATION:
Registration is limited and so don't wait! Early registration is $40.00 through December 12th. Registration at packet pick-up (December 13th & December 14th) and race day, if available, is $45.
T-SHIRTS
All 5K participants will also receive a beautiful Santa Paws tech quality T-shirt along with the 5-piece Santa Suit. Be sure to list your suit and t-shirt sizes when registering.
Early Packet Pick-Up:
For your convenience, packet pick-up will be held on Thursday, December 16th from 11AM-4PM and Friday, December 17th from 11AM - 4PM at Ruth Hardy Park 700 Tamarisk Palm Springs, CA 92262. We will be located under the white tent in the parking lot on the Tamarisk side of the park.
Packet pick up and late registration ($45) also available race morning at the race site (332 W. Alejo, Palm Springs), beginning at 7:30AM.
PARKING
Plenty of free parking is available on the streets east of the venue as well as a public lot on Alejo just west of Palm Canyon.
AWARDS
Beautiful finisher medals with sublimated ribbons are presented to all registered 5K participants. Division awards will be given 3-deep in 5 year age groups from 10 and under to 90+. Over-all men and women, challenged athletes, strollers, team and doggie division 1st, 2nd and 3rd trophies will be given. Fastest police officer trophy will also be awarded!
RACE GOODIES INCLUDE...
Santa Suit, tech t-shirt, finisher medal, souvenir finish line photo download, posed Santa download and milk and cookies presented to all registered
participants!
ELF DASH
Children 10 and under may enter the Elf Dash for $15. Elf Dash participants receive an Elf shirt and hat, Elf Dash button and special finisher treat.
VIRTUAL RUNNER
Not going to be in town on race day? No worries-you can run from anywhere in the world! For a $50 entry fee, we will mail you your Santa Suit, tech t-shirt and finisher medal. If you record your finish time on your Garmin or any GPS technology and send it to us, you will be eligible from an age group award as well. Register early and make this a Christmas gift to yourself! We will mail your suit and goodies to your home!
SCROOGE
Want to help GUIDE DOGS but you're too lazy to get up early on race day and don't feel like leaving your comfortable bed? Well then, we have the perfect category for you! Be a Scrooge and you can just stay in bed and pout! We will send you a special Scrooge certificate thanking you for your support of GUIDE DOGS OF THE DESERT!
Feel free to contact Molly Thorpe, Certified Race Director at psmarathonrunners@gmail.com or (760) 413-6508
with any race-related questions.
