Jo Corfield is part of the Newtown and District Dial A Ride team who organise the charity festive run and ahead of the big event, she sent us this article:

"This year it all starts at 3.00 am in the Dial a Ride office where Mike, one of the drivers, cranks up the BBQ and cooks the much needed bacon butties to prepare us for the day ahead. Once full of tea and bacon the team of volunteers brave it into the cold and march forward into town to get it all started.

In the park armed with torches we make final decisions on where to put the many activities and catering vans. Some of who have already set up and boiling the kettles for the 5am chill.

In Broad Street, the barrier boys arrive to put the crowd barriers into place. Working their way around the odd car left on the streets!!! As soon as the barriers are in place banners are attached from our many sponsors. Four thousand goodie bags and bottles of water are put into place at the finish line.

Throughout town there are 40ft gorillas, octopuses, snowmen, elephants and Santa's all lazily inflating to mark out the course. Fair rides, bouncy castles, and other activities to keep the Santa's amused are dotted around the Park and High St.

In the Park, the big screen is switched on for the final test before the Santa's arrive. The big screens are a first for the Santa Run this year and are being used to add another dimension to the day, plus to help relay instructions to the thousands of Santa's and supporters.

At 6am, the West Brom team start setting up the registration centre in the Park. Before they can even put up the tables a flurry of dedicated Santa's appear walking their dogs and ready to register in their suits.

From 6.30am onwards, a steady flow of Santas start to appear through the morning mist. Some skipping, dancing and laughing and others barley looking alive and suffering from the effects of the festivities the night before!

At 7am, the fork lift platforms arrive and are put into place over looking Broad Street and the Park. These are for the media to capture the all-important shot of thousands of Santas at the start line. The view from the platform is amazing at 11am!

At 9am, Terri Calvesbert will arrive with her family. Six years ago, this brave girl was horrifically burnt in a house fire at her Ipswich home. Since then she has endured many painful operations on her badly burnt body. This year, she is having a respite from operations and has made time to come to Mid Wales to help start the Santa Run.

At 10am, all the madness starts! Santas gather in the Town Hall Grounds to start their warm ups. Here you will witness thousands of grown men and women all trying to dance, jump and spin altogether. A sight truly not to be missed and one that will bring you to tears of laughter!

At 10.30am, the Santas will be escorted by the Newtown Youth Marching Core to the start line in Broad Street. Here runners and spectators in Santa Suits will gather together and be adjudicated for our Guinness World Record Attempt. Press and media will grab their interviews and shots. Then at 11am, it's show time! Young Terri will lead the countdown to the start of the race and then off they go!

For the team, this is only the start of the day . Once the first male, female and team pass the finish line (usually within the first 30mins), we will run over to Latham Park to help with the start of the Mini Santa Run.

At Latham Park Football Ground, a massive 1,000 mini Santa's aged 1-11 years old will take part in our second World Record Attempt - the World's Largest Pillow Fight! That's right, One thousand VERY excited children armed with pillows being told to hit each other!!! Mad? YES WE ARE! But this isn't enough to break the World Record, we need every Mum, Dad, Gran and Grandad to come dressed in their Santa suits and armed with bed pillows and join in.

If the children are not warmed up by then, there is a Mini Santa aerobics session at 12.30pm. At 12.45pm, the children will be led to the start line and OFF!

Then its back to the town centre for the Dial A Ride team to see the children finish the race, to announce the best-dressed competition winners and then to cheer on the last of the stragglers - some a little worse for wear from stopping off at the many pubs en route and some who are genuinely shattered and have a feeling of self achievement.

The day comes to an end at 3pm and its time to clear away and tidy up. The team grabs a quick cuppa and a break in the park before loading everything onto the busses and taking it back to the office to be sorted through in the morning.

By 5.50pm the day is over for the Dial A Ride team and its our turn at last to visit the pub!"

Written by Jo Corfield from Newtown Dial A Ride