HUNDREDS of runners dressed as Santa braved the rain for charity yesterday.

Annual Santa fun run in Pontypool and Monmouth attracted around 250 and 400 runners respectively, all dressed in their festive finest.

 
 

Musician Jon Tibke, 58, who ran the Pontypool route dressed as a Christmas turkey and playing a trombone, said: “It’s great because it draws attention to our running group, the Blaenafon Joggers.

“My wife runs as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and I go around playing my trombone.

“It’s not the type of fitness routine that’s going to catch on, if I’m being honest.

“The hills are especially hard, but I do play all the way around.”

One of the event organisers in Pontypool was Emma Wootten, of Age Connect Torfaen.

She explained the goal was to raise money for a loneliness telephone line for older people in the area.

“At the moment, isolation is such a killer, especially around the holidays.

“This is the third year we’ve held the event, and wit h250 registered, its definitely the biggest we’ve had.

 
 

“It’s such a lovely event, and it’s great that we can arrange something that brings the people of Torfaen together to celebrate Christmas and support a very worthy cause.”

All proceeds went to supporting the services that Age Connects Torfaen provide for older people.