Juledagsløpet

3. juledagsløpet is a running race held in Mandal on the third day of Christmas. It is a local road-and-park event offering three distances: an untimed children’s race of approximately 1 km in Furulunden, a 3 km race, and a 10 km race. The shorter distances allow children and casual runners to participate easily, while the 10 km provides club runners and fitter locals with a challenging post-Christmas test. The race started in 1978 with 12 participants and for many years had around 150 runners. Recent editions have seen significant growth, with over 400 participants across all races, including 250 in the 10 km and 123 in the 3 km. The atmosphere is distinctly local, with people participating after Christmas meals to compete against themselves, family, neighbors, or siblings. The front of the 3 km can still be competitive, with winning times around nine minutes.