This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2011, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Santas, lots of them, left their sleighs and reindeer home Friday and ran the first of three Santa Run 5Ks.

The Valley Fair Mall hosted the inaugural "Santa Run West," which will be followed by another Santa run Saturday in Ogden and a third on Dec. 3 in Provo.

The 5K's rules require all runners to be dressed as Santa Claus. The registration fee — $35 to $45 fee, depending on how much in advance you register — includes a hat, beard, jacket, pants and belt.

This year's runs are the fourth for Ogden and the third for Provo. Last year, more than 700 Santas participated in the Ogden run and more than 350 ran in Provo.

For more information on the Santa runs, go to www.runsanta.com.