A SOLENT spanning Santa Dash will come to the Island this December, bringing with it a host of Santas from the hovercraft in Ryde.

Participants will be invited to dress as Father Christmas or wear something suitably seasonal as they run or stroll along the seafronts of Southsea and Ryde.

This event is suitable for all abilities, taking runners along the esplanade of Southsea, then onto the hovercraft for a 10-minute flight, followed by the second half of the dash along the beaches of Ryde and Appley.

Neil Chapman, managing director of Hovertravel, said: “As long-time supporters of the fire services community, we wanted to be actively involved in creating a unique Solent-spanning Santa Dash, and so we donated a hovercraft to fly the participants to the Isle of Wight for the second half of their run.

“The Fire Fighters Charity is reliant on donations from the fire and rescue community and the general public to meet the cost of operating its centre and community-based services to support thousands of members of the UK’s fire and rescue services and their dependants.”

The Fire Fighters Charity offers specialist, lifelong support for members of the UK fire services community, empowering individuals to achieve mental, physical, and social wellbeing throughout their lives.

Fiona McMillan, Community, Corporate and Events Fundraiser at The Fire Fighters Charity, said: “We’re really excited to welcome supporters from across the area for this unique and fun-filled Santa Dash.

“It's not every day you see a bunch of Santa’s riding a hovercraft!

“We couldn't be more grateful to Hovertravel for such a generous donation.”

The Solent Santa Dash takes place Sunday, December 12, starting at 10.30am.

Full details and tickets are available online here www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-solent-santa-dash-with-hovertravel-tickets-205198673757.