Run Halton

Run Halton
Organised by The Halton and Hale Village Road Race Committee, “Run Halton” is one of the few remaining 5 mile road races on closed roads left in the northwest of England and takes place each Easter Sunday morning.

Beginnings
The Run Halton 5 Mile Road Race first started in 2000 to commemorate the Millennium. The committee set up to run the race was made up of people who had experience of organising The Liverpool International ½ Marathon and The Liverpool 10k, plus officers and some Elected Members from Halton Borough Council. There were also representatives from Halton and Frodsham Harriers and a number of UK Athletics Officials who gave advice at the start of the process.

The race itself is point-to-point and takes runners across the famous Runcorn- Widnes Bridge and through a fairly flat course to Ditton and Halebank reaching the leafy lanes of Hale village on the final 2 miles. The start point is at Runcorn Railway Station, with the Bridge approach roads being closed in both directions for the duration of the start. Because of the involvement of such an iconic structure, the race became known as “Run the Bridge”. The race started from humble beginnings attracting some 300 runners in its first year but over time the race grew to around 450 per year. However in 2010 the race saw its largest number of entries, over 700!

Hale Road Race
Some members of the committee were already involved in organising the Hale 5 Mile Road Race which for some 20 years took place on the 2nd Sunday in December. This race attracted 300+ runners around the picturesque village of Hale on the western edge of Halton. The race finally came to an end when funding became difficult and full road closures became necessary, this increased the cost making the race no longer viable.

The Halton Grand Prix
In 2005 the concept of the Halton Grand Prix was formed to entice more runners with a new race being added to the existing 2 races. The new race was in Runcorn with the start point at Norton Priory Museum and Walled Garden. The race was again 5 miles, taking in the area around Manor Park Industrial Estate and the leafy environs at the edge of Moore Village and Sandymoor. The race took place on the first Saturday in February. The race was run on 2 occasions, however once again, funding was a real issue due to the cost of providing traffic management on some major roads and full road closures within an industrial estate.

We are now left with only the one race - “Run the Bridge”- and are managing, with the help of Halton Borough Council and Hale Parish Council, to overcome the prohibitive costs and offer an enjoyable run, a good course for the keen runner and a pleasant backcloth for those unfamiliar with the Hale area.

Present Day
The Halton 5 Mile Road Race takes place each Easter Sunday, starting at 9.30am from Runcorn Railway Station, with the flat course travelling across the famous Runcorn Widnes Bridge and then on to the historic village of Hale at the very western tip of the Borough of Halton. Now established as one of the premier 5 mile races in the North of England, the race has consistently scored over 90% in runner satisfaction surveys, so even if you are a novice, this is the race for you.

It's not just a race for the serious runner, although times of less than 25 minutes have been known! It's about taking part and running across the bridge, for some, for the very first time. The longest a competitor was out on the course was 1 hour 20 minutes. It's not just young people either; the race caters for all ages and abilities. Although we have said all ages, unfortunately those under 15 years old are unable to enter due to UKA rules.

It's also about raising money. A portion of each entry fee will be forwarded to Macmillan Cancer Support and to 2010 this has amounted £6000 for this worthy charity, caring for people locally where others are not able. You can also raise money for your charity if you wish, or even more for Macmillan, it's your choice.