ST HELENS Striders' athletes have been enjoying success across the country and overseas.

There was glory for Hannah Whittaker as she blazed a trail at the Warrington 5 Mile race to finish first woman in a blistering time of 35:12.

It is Whittaker’s dedication and determination which brought about a well-deserved victory that delighted her St Helens Striders teammates.

In the same race, there were impressive performances from sister act Kylie Barlow (8th woman) and Sian Maguire (19th woman) alongside a battling performance from the tenacious Sarah Charlton.

A hardy band of Striders’ trail enthusiasts travelled north to Ennerdale in the Lake District to take on challenging terrain.

In the 10km race, Cheryl Orrick performed admirably alongside Rebecca McKenna, who battled on heroically to complete the course despite a heavy fall.

Ann Johnson, Wendy Davies, Sharon O’Connell, Claire Blennerhassett all showed their mettle in the epic 25km race which thrilled Striders’ trail mentor David Brisco, who also completed the course.

There was a standout performancs from John Williams in 11th place (55:48) over brutal climbs in the inaugural Winter Hill 10km race, an accomplishment matched by Graham Jones’ 11th place (44:09) at the frankly sinister Beat The Reaper 10km event at Croxteth Hall.

Flying the flag for Striders in the sunny climes of The Algarve was Kevin Brennan.

In the Tavira Half Marathon, he produced a superb performance finishing the 13.1 mile course in 1:29:39 despite the searing heat on the day.

Brennan’s commitment to the Striders’ cause is unbounded, evidenced by his taking time out of a family holiday to show European neighbours what the club is all about.