Runners beat the winter chill by donning festive costume for their weekly Park Run in west Suffolk.

There were numerous Santas, a family of festive elves, a smattering of snowmen and even a giant Christmas present in the line for the 5km event at Great Cornard on Saturday morning – one of the chilliest of the season so far.

The regular Great Cornard Park Runs started in March this year and attendance has grown steadily to up to 60 participants taking their morning’s exercise at the sports ground each week.

For the Christmas special, runners were encouraged to turn up in seasonal fancy dress to complete the timed race before indulging in hot drinks and mince pies. According to event director Lisa Dalton, the morning was a big success with most participants embracing the theme.

She said: “The freezing conditions didn’t put people off and we saw 53 runners cross the line although the results were generally slower than normal due to the frosty ground and Santa hats.”