Mental Elf Festive Fun Run 2026

Get ready to jingle all the way through Dalby Forest with our festive fun run! Whether you’re an eager elf dashing 5k or taking a merry stroll around the 3k route, this event is perfect for all ages and abilities – run, walk, skip, roll or dance your way to the finish line!

But the festivities don’t stop at the finish line…

In the Courtyard Area, you’ll find:

• A Christmas market with stalls and festive treats
• Santa’s Grotto for little ones to share their wishes and get a gift from Santa (£5 on the day)

Dress Code: Your best Elf Outfit is strongly encouraged!

This event isn’t just about festive fun – it’s also about raising awareness and funds for local mental health support with SWR Mind. While there’s no fundraising requirement, we’d love you to raise £40 or more using our JustGiving Platform, you can find out how to do this in our FAQ section below.

🏃 Important info:

• Run starts at 11:00am – please arrive between 10-10:30am to collect your run number and fill in details.
• Children aged 14 and under must be accompanied by an adult.
• First aiders will be on site.
• If you’d prefer not to be photographed, let our team know on the day.
• Christmas market times: 10am-2pm

Read our FAQs here.

Read our Terms and Conditions here.

Finally, we want to say a big thank you to Lancashire Mind who created the original Mental Elf Fun Run concept. We are super excited to grow this event year on year in Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale!

Please note: this Mental Elf Festive Fun Run is a fundraising event organised by Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale Mind. The Mental Elf^TM blog is a separate initiative run independently, providing short, evidence-based summaries of new mental health research. You can visit the blog here https://www.nationalelfservice.net/mental-health/