ONCE again the St Helens 10K run produced some wonderful scenes and emotions.

The event is a reminder of how the power of sport and participation can have an uplifting effect on communities and individuals.

Stepping up for a challenge such as a 10k run can transform a person’s physical and mental health, it can help them face up to adversity, deal with grief or illness.

If anyone thinks that is an exaggeration, speak to some of those who took part on Sunday who will tell you how special it made them feel.

The winner Matt Crehan – whose story features on page three – is a perfect example of this.

Returning to the sport has changed his life – and his motivation is such that he is now targeting the 2020 Olympics.

Steve Prescott did so much for St Helens and – in the dark times he faced – he realised how these physical challenges can change lives.

This annual event is his legacy to his hometown and its sporting fabric.

It is a reminder that sport is one of this town’s great strengths.

That may seem an obvious statement to make – but when people agonise over what St Helens is doing well, or doing poorly at, for some reason sporting prowess and heritage can be overlooked.

It is almost as if it is taken for granted.

It shouldn’t be, in fact I’d go as far as to say we have one of the strongest sporting communities in the country.

Obviously, there is Saints – our sporting flagship whose name is known across the world.

But it goes deeper than that, it is about the many teams and individuals competing in the grassroots, at both junior and amateur level who repeatedly bring home honours.

Some progress to national honours and we have had examples in the past week, with the cyclist Lauren Bate bringing home a bronze medal from the Commonwealth games and Conor Coady skippering Wolverhampton Wanderers football club to promotion from the Championship.

Meanwhile, the arrival of Saints women’s rugby league team – who played their first game at the weekend – is a terrific addition to the local sporting landscape.