THIS year's GPW Recruitment St Helens 10k will not take place in its usual format and will instead involve a virtual weekend of running.

Organisers confirmed the ongoing coronavirus restrictions mean the usual event, which typically sees more than 1,000 runners start and finish from Saints' Totally Wicked Stadium, will not be staged.

But they hope many of the usual entrants will sign up for a virtual event.

Martin Blondel, of the Steve Prescott Foundation, said: “The organising committee of the GPW Recruitment St Helens10k Run have delayed this decision as long as possible.

"Considering the current position with COVID-19 we have made the difficult decision of replacing the normal 10k run with a top-class Virtual Run Weekend that will take place on the same weekend of 6/7th March.

"This is in line with other 10k runs across the country.

READ> Vaccination programme steps up across St Helens

"We have invested a lot of time and effort with our timing solutions providers TDL Event Services on creating an app that will be interactive and give athletes a unique insight into their 10k run.

"The app will track every runner via GPS and will give a time for each kilometre completed; this will then show up on the app.

We would like to see all our usual athletes plus runners all over the world donning their St Helens 10k Shirt and taking part in this year's Virtual Race.

"By athletes taking part and improving their health and well-being it will be another kick in the teeth for Covid and continue the great man’s Steve Prescott MBE legacy."

Registration can take place at sthelens10k.com/

The conditions

*Every Athlete already registered will receive automatic entry into the GPW Recruitment St Helens Virtual 10k Run 2021

*Strictly No Refund policy

*Deferred Entry into 2022 race option is available for anyone registered before Tuesday, January 12 2021

*Deferment requests must be emailed to:- info@sthelens10krun.com before 22nd January 2021

*All registrations for the Virtual 10k run must be made before Feb 15, 2021. You will then receive your Virtual Race tee shirt to wear on the race weekend of March 6/7.