The fast and flat terrain of the “North Pole” serves as the setting for the Santa Claus Half Marathon, which is run on a combination of paved roads, dirt trails and bicycle paths through this small Alaska town, which receives hundreds of thousands of letters to Santa each December from children around the world (though it lies more than 1,000 miles from the actual North Pole).
Sponsored by the Alaska-based Usibelli Coal Mine, the race is part of a series of eight local running events the company sponsors, including the Midnight Sun Run and the Equinox Marathon, which takes place in nearby Fairbanks in the early fall.
From the starting line in the Chena Lake Recreation Area, the race begins officially at 9:00 AM (with an early 8:00 AM start for slower runners) and lasts until 12 noon.
While in town, runners will no doubt catch some of the Christmas spirit — it will be pretty much unavoidable (!), as the town receives visitors year-round to see its world-famous Santa Claus House and travel along holiday-themed streets like St. Nicholas Drive, Kris Kringle Drive and Snowman Lane.
