Welcome back to The Strider, the newsletter for St Helens Striders This month we bring you a variety of race reports as members star t to up t heir training in preparation for more races over the Spring and Summer. Included this month are reports from Parbold Hill Race, Wrexham Village Bakery Half M a ra t h o n , Tr i m p e l l 2 0 m i l e Grindleford Gallop and the GPW Legal Services St Helens 10k in support of the Steve Prescott Foundation. Also this month we are bringing back our “Meet the Strider” feature, particularly useful given how much the club has grown over the past few months – since the beginning of the year we have grown to almost 50 members.

This month we are giving you the opportunity to get to know one of our newer members. We are also providing a new running route idea, to help alleviate any boredom that may result from sticking to the tried and tested, as well as an explanation about some of training sessions – aimed at helping some of our newer members to understand what the short-hand descriptions are in the training plan and what the common landmarks are.

F i n a l l y, t h e r e a r e a f ew reminders on races that are coming up over the next few weeks and months. And just to have the last word, please check out The Striders Message Board on the website www.sthelensstriders.co.uk and the St Helens Striders Facebook page. Striders are always posting about races, plans for weekend runs and social events as well as general advice. It’s a great way to get involved with the Striders.

“I started running with Striders in 1986, they were well established as a training club and as a racing club. When I joined members were traveling far and wide to race.

I estimate that Striders were formed around 1986. We are indebted to JIM CREHAN Snr. for our club; he along with one or two others founded Derby Hill Joggers, who evolved to become Striders. Jim was a very good runner; he used his experience to guide all Striders members. He was still competing and with great success in vets championships in his seventies. By then he was competing in sprints, hurdles and triple jump. His daughter in law Sue Crehan ran for Britain in 1988 marathon in Seoul.
In 1987 we joined a x/c league which comprised of teams from Liverpool Warrington and Rainford. Each club hosted a race and provided refreshments for the runners. The x/c were fun but very competitive. One season striders had the winner of all six races. Rob Kitts won three, with the other races being shared between, Jason Calland and Mike Forber.

Around this time membership peaked at 30, which included wives and children. Some nights we could have two dozen out training. In 1991 membership dipped quite alarmingly, our changing facilities at the youth club left a lot to be desired so we moved from there. Initially we just met at the car park at Boundary Road baths. Our mate Ken Hill then arranged for us to use Ruskin Drive and we were happy there for number of years. The Striders then moved to its current headquarters, the Central Fitness.”

Membership with the Striders currently stands at around 25, but we are starting to see an improvement in new members and attendance at training. The club is now over 20 year’s old- a great achievement on any counts and as current members, it is up to us to ensure that the club still exists in the next twenty years for our children and grandchildren.