A Jolly Good Run

An Oxford distance runner dressed as Santa Claus spreads cheer all around town throughout the holiday season.

Written by Eugene Stockstill  | Photographed by Joe Worthem

Santa Claus runs things a little differently in Oxford. Well, at least one of his helpers does.

51-year-old Bret Beauchamp is also known around town as the Running Santa. Since 2008, Beauchamp has suited up as a jolly elf and run his way around Lafayette’s county seat, spreading joy wherever he goes.

“Sometimes in December it can still be in the 70s, so it can get hot, but other than that, it’s not bad. The beard can itch a little,” he said. “I wear a Homer Simpson costume beer belly under the coat, and it jiggles a little.”

Beauchamp is far from a tubby spreader of holiday cheer. He’s run the Boston Marathon 15 times. Back in December of 2008, when he was getting ready for a run, a neighbor asked if her son could get his picture with Beauchamp in a Santa suit his mother-in-law had bought for him at Target at a 75% discount.

Beauchamp got dressed up as Saint Nick, then after the photo, his neighbor told him to go for a Santa run. He went from laughing it off to taking her up on it.

“It was almost dark but not quite, so I was very visible to drivers. I ran all through town and made a loop through the Square,” he said. “The reactions I got were amazing. Lots of honking, laughing, yelling at me in a good way, and it was a blast.”

Thus, was born Oxford’s Running Santa.

Every year, Beauchamp, a native of Clinton, Louisiana, near Baton Rouge, runs Dec. 1 and Christmas Eve and many days in between. He has no planned route and usually runs between six and eight miles. He has gone as far as 10.

“I’ve had people stop me to give me roses, stop and take pictures with babies or ask me if I want to race,” he said. “One time I was running by Funky’s, and a big crowd was screaming at me to come in and take a shot, so in I ran.”

It turns out that a lifetime of cross-country running inspired by his father, who was also a runner, prepared Beauchamp for something besides covering lots of terrain in the name of fitness and competition.

His two daughters loved it when they were growing up, he said.

“They would see me on the way to school and would love to honk and wave,” he said. “Later they started driving, and I would see them around town with friends, and they all would love to harass me.”

It will be tough to lock down a date and a time to catch a glimpse of Santa running by, since Beauchamp never makes a detailed schedule or itinerary for his runs.

“I love running everywhere around here,” he said. “The hills here are great training and an enjoyable break from flat roads.”

Sometimes it’s early morning when school buses run, sometimes closer to sunset. Weekend runs usually take place during the middle of a day. He estimated that he goes running in Santa garb 15 to 17 times a season.

When people do catch him running by, they love to get videos and photos. Sometimes kids run along with him, like in the movie “Rocky.” He says college student reactions are the goofiest.

A sales rep for Merck pharmaceuticals, Beauchamp says he still gets a chuckle out of the whole thing, and he plans to continue to keep up the tradition.

“It’s amazing to see the laughs and smiles you get from cars passing by,” he said. “It’s a really odd site to see, so even if you’re having a bad day, that may be the one thing you need, even if it’s just for a second.”