All ages took part in the record attempt

Organisers of the Newtown and District Dial-a-Ride Santa Run estimated that more than 3,200 men, women and children took part in the fundraising run in the town on Sunday.

The current world record for Santas gathered in one place is 2,685, who assembled in Bralanda, Sweden, on 7 December last year.

But the 3,200 people who took part in the Newtown event could soon be entering the record books, if all the criteria for the record attempt are verified by Guinness World Records.

I took the event very seriously and have been training in a Santa outfit to acclimatise for the run Matthew Gurmin, Santa Run winner

The Guinness Book of Records stipulates that those attempting the record must wear a red Santa costume with matching hats, fake white beards and black belts.

Organisers have sent documentation and photographic evidence to Guinness World Records and hope to have their record verified by Christmas.

Dougie Bancroft of Newtown Dial-a-Ride also hoped that two more new world records were set on Sunday - for the most Santas doing aerobics and the most Santas taking part in a charity run.

"The Santa Run has been a huge success with �100,000 raised in two years for more than 200 charities," said Mr Bancroft.

Although the number of runners on the 4.5 mile course was restricted to 2,000, there was also a mini Santa run for 500 children on the same day.

"We also want to set a record for the most Santas doing aerobics which involved 2,500 people before the race," he added.

More than 3,200 people took part in Sunday's run

"We will also contact Guinness World Records to try and set a record for the most Santas running for charity."

Mr Bancroft had hoped to attract celebrities such as Lord Richard Attenborough and John Leslie to this year's event although neither turned up in the end.

"They both expressed an interest and we have had good luck messages sent from Ant and Dec, Ewan McGregor, the Duke of York, Tony Blair and Charles Kennedy," said Mr Bancroft.

This year's winner was Matthew Gurmin from Pontarsais, near Blackwood in Gwent.

"I took the event very seriously and have been training in a Santa outfit to acclimatise for the run," he said.

Set up in 1991, Dial-a-Ride makes more than 14,000 journeys a year - delivering thousands of meals-on-wheels as well as transporting wheelchair users.

It receives �6,325 a year in funding from Powys County Council and relies heavily on donations to cover running costs.

"We have to raise �134,000 to cover running costs for all the work we do in the area," said Mr Bancroft.