Work in the North Pole has been put on hold as 4000 Santas descended on Sydney for a charity fun run.

The Santas ran through the city’s streets on Sunday morning, before gathering at the Sydney Opera House and covering its steps in red and white.

The run was one of 10 events throughout Australia it is hoped will raise $216,000 for the children’s charity Variety.

Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Darwin, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney and regional centres, Geraldton in Western Australia and Newcastle, were all set to host runs.

Organisers hope the national event will grow beyond 14,000 participants to break the world “Santa run” record, which is held by Portugal.

A spokeswoman for the event said they were yet to determine how many Santas had run throughout Australia.

Donations for the event are open until the middle of the month.