Imagine our surprise at runABC HQ when an envelope postmarked The North Pole dropped through the letterbox during the summer! Could this be a press release for the North Pole Marathon, also known as the World's Coolest Marathon, organised by Runbuk, we wondered?

For the uninitiated, the North Pole Marathon is a unique bucket-list event for adventurous runners seeking the ultimate challenge and one of the few events not on the programme of our travel partners, Marathon Tours & Travel UK.

The only way to find out was to open the intriguing envelope, so we did. And there, inside, was an extraordinary appeal that we had to keep quiet... until now. The letter was marked 'Strictly Confidential' and was a request for fitness guidance for a very special person – Santa Claus!

Penned by the Elf 'n Safety executive at Santa's North Pole workshop, the letter explained that after over 1,750 years in his sleigh, the big man was...well...bigger than ever, and there were growing concerns for his ability to withstand the rigours of yet another Christmas Eve.

Elf 'n Safety was seeking advice on basic fitness and motivation for Santa, to ensure the prompt and safe delivery of approximately 1.5 billion presents to 700 million children (excluding those on the 'naughty list', and Santa non-believers, of course).

So we immediately got our crack team of coaches and sport psychologists on the case – how could we refuse such a request – and the transformation has been remarkable. We reckon we have taken a few hundred years off Santa, and a few kilos disappeared in the process.

Santa threw himself into the programme, starting with our 'Coach to 5K' six-week beginner's course – you can check that out on Runtalk from 28 August 2024 here – then throwing himself into the Santa Olympics, where he discovered the delights of hurdling, high jump and shot putt!

We are delighted to report that Santa has never been in better shape. Unlike the empty promises made by less magical delivery agencies, your children's parcels will arrive safely and on time this Christmas.

It only remains for us to wish everyone a happy, healthy, and peaceful Christmas...and don't believe everything you read in runABC!

Photo courtesy of Masters Athletics UK on Facebook