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Santa Cause Run Takes ‘When You Want’ Approach Amid COVID-19

Discover Peoria
The 6th annual Santa Cause Run will be a "run when you want" race over nine days from Dec. 12-20.

Discover Peoria and ArtsPartners of Central Illinois have come up with a different way to conduct this year’s popular Santa Cause Run in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Instead of a single large gathering of runners in Santa Claus outfits, the sixth annual event will give participants the ability to “run when you want” during a nine-day span from Dec. 12-20.

“Being able to see hundreds of people running in Santa suits in downtown Peoria and across the Peoria area has been a lot of fun in the past years,” said JD Dalfonso, president and CEO of Discover Peoria, the renamed Peoria Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. “But due to the pandemic we're facing, we want to bring something a little bit more creative.”

The route will begin at the Peoria Riverfront Museum and highlight public art by looping past the nine pieces featured in this year's ArtsPartners Sculpture Walk in downtown Peoria. The event will benefit ArtsPartners to help fund future sculpture walks.

“The quality of life that we have in Peoria is something that we don't take for granted, said Jenn Gordon, ArtsPartners’ executive director. “But we sure appreciate that we have partners like the CVB that help to highlight this amazing city and community that we live in every day.

“We know that public art, now more than ever, plays a huge role in allowing us safe, equitable and meaningful access to the arts during these challenging times.”

With the route just over a mile long, Dalfonso notes runners will need to complete the loop three times to make it a 5K. Participants will be able to submit their times and photos with their favorite artwork along the route to the event website.

“The excitement that we have to champion a sixth consecutive Santa Cause Run, looking a little bit different than the past but still just as enjoyable, we look forward to having everybody out here,” said Dalfonso.

Registration costs $30 for adults and $15 for kids 18 and under, and includes an official event T-shirt made locally by Unique Tees. Dalfonso said runners are welcome to wear their own Santa suits.

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Contact Joe at jdeacon@ilstu.edu.