Yep, it’s that time again. On Saturday, December 12th 2009, Team Santa Speedo will run for the 3rd year at the Trail of Lights fun run being held in Zilker Park. Based on similar events in Toronto and Boston, I do a lot of runs, rides and swims, but never do I laugh as much as charging around a 5k run in a speedo for a good cause.

We kinda hope that despite the fact the lights are scaled down this year, and the run is a short 2.6-miles, that the Santa speedo run will again get more participants. You can either just show up in a speedo or bikini(red, white or green preferred) along with Santa hats, reindeer horns, and other festive attire. You can run alone, or you can seek safety in numbers and at least start with the rest of us. Trust me, not everyone that takes part in the speedo run is an athlete, in fact Head Santa Cruz was just the other day bemoaning the fact he hadn’t done any running. So come on down and have a blast!

It’s also an fundraiser for Out Youth, a non-profit organization whose mission is to support and provide services to gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and questioning youth ages 12 to 19 in Austin and Central Texas. We’re asking Team Santa Speedo members and their “Athletic Supporters” to do some fundraising and donate directly to this organization to help them continue their work.

You can sign up for Team Santa Speedo, or become an “Athletic Supporter” and sponsor a runner at: http://austinsantaspeedorun.eventbrite.com/,

You do also have to enter the official fun run, and will get a long-sleeve t-shirt if you sign up by Wednesday, and save $3 over race day entry.

Austin Santa Speedo Chief Elf Officer