The Run
December Accumulator Challenge
The Great Run Solo 12 Runs of Christmas is back for its fourth year, and we’re looking forward to seeing your snowy runs, Santa selfies and dishing out lots and lots of lovely medals!
The return of the 12 Runs of Christmas!
It’s oh-ho-ho so simple: between 1st-25th December, rack up 12 runs (or more) and earn yourself a special Christmas medal-meets-tree ornament. And if you manage myrrh – 30, 60 or 100 miles – you’ll also receive a digital certificate (plus some serious bragging rights, of course).
Taking part costs just £15 (Sign up before 8 December), which includes access to our cracking tracking tool, a merry medal, and a digital certificate for finishers. All entrants will also receive access to our exclusive Great Run rewards scheme with Endurance Zone, giving you fantastic offers and deals from some of the biggest sports brands in the industry. Weather outside looking frightful? Never fear: Great Run’s December Accumulator will guarantee your festive season is delightful.
May all your Christmas miles be full of smiles!
Complete the 12 Runs of Christmas
Go dashing through the snow for any distance this December. Just make sure you do at least 12 runs (or walks) by 25 December to smash this seasonal challenge. You’ll receive your very own Christmassy medal-meets-tree decoration as a lasting memento of all the miles you’ve covered. It’ll arrive before Christmas, so you can wear it with pride before hanging it on your tree.
(Optional) Accumulator Distance Award
Fancy an extra challenge? We have three optional distances for you to aim for. Depending how far you travel over your 12 (or more) runs/walks, we’ll award you a special digital finisher’s certificate to download and share.
Tree-mendous Effort – 30 Miles
Sleighing it – 60 miles
Snow laughing matter – 100 miles
From 1st December, you can log your runs here on this page with our online tracker, or use your own tracking app or device to record your activity if you prefer. Once you’ve completed all of your runs and reached your target distance, simply submit your results and we’ll have your digital finisher’s certificate with you before you can do your best Noddy Holder “It’s Chriiiiiiiistmas!” impression.
If you have any queries, see our Christmas Accumulator Challenge FAQ section here for more information.
The Nice List
And for really good girls and boys, we’ve created a Nice List. How many can you tick off?
1 Festive fancy dress – deck your running gear with tinsel, elf ears or a full-blown Santa costume. Tag us in your elfie selfies!
2 Sparkly shoes – add a sprinkle of festive cheer to your trainers. What about threading some bells through your laces?
3 All I want for Christmas is a new PB – 5k or 20k, it doesn’t matter – just push yourself to hit a new PB in December.
4 Christmassy routes – plan yourself a running route in the shape of a star, a Christmas tree or a candy cane. Then check out your map art afterwards on Strava.
5 Santa’s Little Helper – take some cards or a present with you and do deliveries while you run.
6 I Spy – play festive I Spy while you run and snap a photo of three festive sights from your route – a robin, an icicle, a snowman…
7 Naughty List – add some hill sprints or mid-route squats to one of your runs.
8 Giving is good – give someone a running-related Christmas gift. Everyone loves socks, right?
9 Light it up – grab a running selfie in front of a Christmas tree, Christmas lights or a house that’s gone overboard on the decorations.
10 Santa-inspired songs – make a Christmas playlist and turn it up. You can even sing along while you run if you dare!
11 We three kings – plan a route to take you past three pubs with a royal connection in their name (i.e. The Crown, Royal Oak, Queens Head, Kings Arms…)
12 T’was the night before Christmas – go for a Christmas Eve run and see the festive season out in style.
#GreatRunSolo
Use #GreatRunSolo to share your running pics and videos with us on socials and you *might* just appear in a special seasonal video. Or, join our official Great Run Solo Strava group & track your runs with other runners taking on the Christmas Accumulator challenge.
The Challenge
December Accumulator Challenge
How it works
Tracking your activity
We recommend that you use a tracking app to log your running activity during your challenge – any app or watch can be used. You also have the option of using our online tracker to log each run as you go, this is available here on the challenge page from the start of the challenge (1 Dec).
To use the tracker, and submit your results at the end of the challenge, you will need your unique Great Run ID which can be found in your entry confirmation email. For more information, read our guide to tracking your runs and providing evidence for your Great Run Solo challenge.
Christmas Accumulator FAQ
If you have any questions about the Christmas Accumulator Challenge, please see our FAQ section.
The Reward
December Accumulator Challenge
Complete 12 runs (or more) to earn yourself one of three festive medals!
Festive Medal
All challenge participants will receive a show stopping medal; the Christmassy medal-meets-tree decoration is a lasting memento of all the miles you’ve covered. Our aim is for all medals to arrive before Christmas* so that you can hang it on your Christmas tree with pride as soon as you complete the challenge. The cheeky elf and festive polar bear were so popular last year, we’ve brought them back, and introduced a brand-new penguin medal this year – which one will you get?*
If you submit your results at the end of the challenge (this is optional), you will also receive a personalised digital certificate to download and display with pride.
Note: For international runners, there is an additional £4.75 charge to cover medal postage.
*Medals should start to arrive week commencing 11 December. For those who signed up for last year’s challenge, we’ll ensure that you receive a different design this year. It’s time to start a collection!
