We run to stay elfy!

Today down Cardiff Bay a group of elves came out to play… Father Christmas was also there, so you better behave or be naughty if you dare!

As Christmas is getting closer it was only fitting to participate in an annual Santa Dash, and in Cardiff that was today! In terms of GoodGym there were about 15 of us?! In all honesty I lost count, but there were lots!

We all arrived by various means of transport. Santa Graff in his sleigh, Rachel on a reindeer, Fiona by snowmobile and the rest of us by car - Please let me imagination run wild a bit (It's Christmas soon!!). When we arrived, though, we grouped ourselves by the polar bear ... I get how this all may sound a bit weird...

Embracing the Christmas feeling, Elf Ben and Elf Daz couldn’t behave them elves. They ran around taking funny photos, check out the; ‘Elf on a Shelf’, the elf popping his head out from behind a pole and the elf about to be eaten by a wolf.

After Ben and Daz returned to the group, Lucy spotted Emma and called her over. Elf Ben seized the opportunity, "watch your elf" he exclaimed, as he thought she could've slipped on the floor. Elf Daz then explained than Elf Ben had been going on about elf and safety all day! Fiona was throwing out quotes from Elf left right and centre... although managed to resist shouting as loud as she could, "SANTA I KNOW HIM!".

Lets line up!

We all made our way to the start. Fliss and Owen - who were by them-elves getting their registration numbers - collected their numbers and then joined the group. We were all feeling quite claustrophobic with all the Santa’s around us. A few Santa’s made some jokes, they sleighed us!

3, 2 , 1, GO SANTA, ELVES AND REINDEERS ALIKE!!

And we’re off!!! Okay that was probably an anti-climax as there was some congestion to begin with, but we began walking and eventually increased the tempo into a running pace.

On the way around the course Elf Daz found time to pet Santa-Paws (Look at the photos if this reference is lost on you).

Elf Lucy was in North Pole position for most of it and then Elf Daz and Elf Ben caught, the cheeky cotton headed ninny muggins that Ben is, he overtook Lucy by the finish - Straight onto the naughty list he goes.

WELL DONE EVERYONE YOU DID IT – YOU SHOULD BE PROUD OF YOUR ELVES!

We all came streaming through, one after the other! We saw one person dressed as a character from the film Frozen… I can’t remember his name but he looked like he was having Olaf.

Hark the herald GoodGym-ers' sing

Good king winstonesteses (Did not first or last look out, he just looked out) looked out … and that’s how it began. We headed to Octavo's Book Cafe and Wine Bar, and fueled with Mulled cider and a delightful lunch the antics continued with Adam feeling jetlagged and just managing to stay awake (He caught a plane from Bali, making sure he arrived to congratulate us on completing the Santa run). When we were running low on cider, just like the three kings the staff came and brought some Myrrh.

We were singing Christmas songs and Santa Amy pointed out to Lucy that in America they spell Noel differently. Elf Lucy asked Santa Amy how they spelt Noel in America… Elf Ben sought the opportunity to instill yet some more banter and said “Noe”… they spell it with “No L”.

Enough jokes about spelling… We better get home and write our letters to Satan.

After a beautiful poem read out by a chap that I cannot remember the name of but I am confident he is on Santa's good list we headed off. This brought the end to what was… an awesome day!... actually I think the man was called Mark and he was very lovely asking us all if we were students!! (Holding our youth in high regard we said yes we are! We are student elves!)

This event was organised by the charity Welsh Hearts

Welsh Hearts are the leading heart charity in Wales for placing defibrillators in communities and delivering CPR and defibrillator training in Wales. They are regarded as the heart charity at the centre of saving lives in Wales.

Cardiovascular disease accounts for a third of all deaths in Wales, where the death rate is higher than in the majority of countries in Western Europe.

Their Mission:

• To provide public-access defibrillators in Wales in close partnership with strategic partners
• To provide FREE defibrillator and CPR training for the Welsh public
• To ensure that monies raised in Wales are utilised and distributed within Wales on specific heart related projects.