A busy half marathon weekend for St Helens Striders. On Sunday 19th January, nine striders took on the flat, fast Inskip half marathon, taking place in near perfect conditions on the country lanes around HMS Inskip.

First Strider home was Paul Demore in 1:27:05, followed by Brian Middleton in 1:32:31 and Chris Reid (1:33:18). Leading the ladies home in a new PB was Rachael Fishwick in 1:35:15.

Chris Falls was next in (1:42:22), very closely followed by Martin Farrar in 1:42:42. Next home was Jo Jackson in 1:57:07, followed by Andrea Hill-Jones (2:11:39) and with the morning’s race finished off by Mike Brunt (2:25:50).

Meanwhile on the same day, bringing home the 12 Striders at the Four Villages Half Marathon at Helsby was Kevin Brennan in a new PB of 1:22:40. Kevin Monaghan was next home in 1:33:12, followed by Les Abbott in 1:36:24. Next in was David Baxter in 1:47:50, chased in by Claire Lindsay 1:47:41.

Cherryl Orrick came home in 1:53:17, followed by Rebecca McKenna in a new PB (1:58:12), Katie Taggart (2:00:13), Nicola Howarth (2:04:11), Joanne Keogh (2:07:50), Amanda Coogan (2:08:53) and nicely rounded off by Debbie Hill (2:28:06).

On Saturday 18th January, eight Striders took on the Ashurst Beacon Fell Race, which sees runners drop down from Ashurst Beacon, take in the trails and ascend up Parbold Hill, before dropping back down through Fairy Glen and back up to the Beacon.

Well done to Gary Carney, Gary Spriggs, Paddy Lee, Simon Poole, John Murphy, Ruth Besford, Gary Ward and Charley Ward who completed with 5.9 mile fell race. Official times to be released.