Stuff of myth and legend occurred at Loch Ness this weekend. Did the world-famous Nessie finally make a long-awaited appearance? Alas not, it remained as elusive as ever – however St Helens Striders always show up and on Sunday, Rick Rowe did exactly that at the Loch Ness Marathon. Taking in the breathtakingly beautiful scenery, Rowe completed the marathon in a monster time of 4 hours and 11 minutes – almost 30 minutes faster than his previous marathon best.
From one area of outstanding natural beauty to another, two Striders completed challenging trail races at Coniston on Saturday. Braving the hills, Rebecca McKenna was delighted to complete the 15k event describing the experience as ‘Epic’. Angela Jones finished the 10k event in style with both runners enthused about the event.
It seems that this weekend was one for scenic races as Sunday saw birthday girl Jackie Dobson compete in the Kirkstall Abbey 7 miler. Dobson finished the race in 1:11:41 – a perfect start to her birthday celebrations.
From scenery to seaside, two Striders took in the sights of the Southport Seaside 10k. Peter Teeling was first Strider home in 47:10 closely followed by Ste Pickavance at 50:30.
Teamwork was the order of the day on Sunday for the Men’s Northern Athletics Road Relay Team. David Wilson, Darren Eckersley, Eric Ranson, Darren Eccles, Daniel Tetlow and Daniel Cheetham all delivered outstanding performances against a very strong field.
John-Jo Doherty’s impressive 2018 racing season continued apace this weekend at the Rainhill 10k where he leaped over the finish line in first place in a time of 36:19 His new training regime is clearly paying dividends with fellow Striders excited to see what else he can achieve this year. Another runner having a 2018 littered with silverware is Lisa Cheers who finished the race as 2nd female in 47:08. Also finishing strong were Gez Roberts and David Navis.
Main photo – Jon-Jo leaps to victory in the Rainhill 10k
