Borders League

The Borders Road Running League was formed in 1983 by a number of new running clubs in North Wales and the western part of Cheshire. The aim was to provide inter-club competition between teams of member clubs on a competitive yet friendly basis. This philosophy continues today - find out more here!

2018/19 Results

Season 2018-19

Race 7: Ffrith Beach, Prestatyn, 24th April 2019

The warmth of the Easter weekend had been replaced by the chill of a gloomy post-pluvial Wednesday evening by the time 291 runners had assembled to toe the start line at Ffrith. Although the destination of most of the major League honours had been all but decided, the 2-lap, 4 mile course saw a fully competitive race.

Last season’s overall Mens’ champion, Ricky Challinor (Buckley RC), had the final say in the unsuccessful defence of his title, leading home this season’s champion Joe Boden (Wallasey AC) by some 20 seconds. Meanwhile, in the Womens’ race, the absence of this season’s overall champion Hannah Cowley gave Prestatyn RC’s Amie Bagnall an opportunity which she grasped with both hands (feet?), winning by a margin of well over a minute from Wirral AC’s Sarah Kearney.

So far as the team competitions were concerned, Buckley Runners were out in force, winning the Division 1 Mens’, Veteran Mens’ and Division 1 Womens’ races on the night, with their Women Vets coming 2nd. Unsurprisingly, this clinched their clean sweep of both Division 1 and both Veterans titles. Congratulations! Wallasey AC‘s Men were runners-up on the night and 2nd in Division 1; Helsby RC‘s Women achieved likewise.
Division 2 Men saw a strong performance from Wrexham AC on the night to beat Ellesmere Port RC; the margin of victory however insufficient to take the League title from their rivals, while Division 2 Women saw one final victory for Wirral AC to clinch their title, and a strong performance from Deestriders guarantee them promotion.
Wrexham AC‘s Mens’ performance and Helsby RC‘s Womens’ performance won them the respective Improvers trophies.

The detailed scrutiny of the finish line video to resolve anomalies in timings and results sheets means that the results presented below are considered as finalised.
Individual : Results Standings
Team : Results Standings

Race 6: Hope / Caergwrle, 31st March 2019

A field well in excess of 300 contested this race – which, given the circumstances of the much delayed start, and the fact that it was Mother’s Day – was remarkable. Spring sunshine greeted the runners who made their way from the race HQ in Hope to the top of Buckley Runners’ challenging new measured 5 mile course.

The Mens’ race saw the home club’s Ricky Challinor finally end Joe Boden‘s winning streak, edging out James Mills of Wrexham by a 3 second margin. Even though the Wallasey man finished 3rd, another 6 seconds further back, this performance was sufficient to guarantee him the Senior Mens’ and Overall individual League title.
Likewise, the Senior Womens’ and Overall individual League title was clinched with a race to spare by Helsby’s Hannah Cowley. Her overwhelming victory, by well over 2 minutes from Prestatyn’s Amie Bagnall, was achieved in style, with a massive PB.
Buckley RC‘s first 9 counters in the Mens’ race were all home in the first 35 places, and in consequence they bolstered their Division One lead over 2nd placed Wallasey AC by another 95 points, to all but guarantee their retention of the League title.
Meanwhile in Womens’ Division 1, Helsby RC‘s victory on the day over Buckley RC was by a margin of just 1 point – leaving the gap from them up to the home club in the League at 25 points and leaving the latter (again) favourites for the title.
In Mens’ Division 2, Wrexham AC had 5 finishers in the top 15 – a performance which took more than 200 points out of the League lead held by 2nd on the day club Ellesmere Port RC, and all but confirmed the promotion of these two clubs to Division 1. Womens’ Division 2 saw a comfortable win on the day for Wirral AC to extend their League lead over Deestriders, who in turn extended their lead over Abergele Harriers.
Both Veterans categories saw victories on the day for the League leaders – in both cases, Buckley RC.

Results have now been finalised – one further correction was identified.
Individual : Results Standings
Team : Results Standings

Please note: The rule regarding the wearing of club tops has now been made explicit on the page https://www.bordersleague.org.uk/rules-scoring – and will be upheld.

Race 5: Birkenhead Park, 3rd March 2019

A race that, earlier in the season, looked as if it might not go ahead, was rescued, thanks to the efforts of Andy Waring and Birkenhead AC to host it at Birkenhead Park. A wet, chilly, but surprisingly calm day greeted 344 runners to run the familiar 4 lap, 5.5 mile course
There’s no stopping Joe Boden at the moment – the Wallasey AC athlete made it 4 in a row with another win in the Mens’ race – his final kick just taking him away from Ellesmere Port RC’s Dave Bennett, whose clubmate Ed Flynn was once again just a little further back.
Deja vu once again in the Womens’ race, with Helsby RC’s Hannah Cowley also taking a 4th win of the season, again being chased home distantly by Prestatyn RC’s Amie Bagnall.
In the team competitions, a brilliant day for Buckley RC saw them record victories on the day in every category and enhance their chances of making a clean sweep of all 4 titles – Senior and Veteran.
Mens’ Division 1 saw them get 7 runners home in the first 30, which was sufficient to stretch their lead over Wallasey AC by another 62 points. Meanwhile their victory in Womens’ Division 1 took them back to the top of the table, 20 points ahead of Wallasey AC, while Helsby RC’s 2nd place on the day kept them in contention.
The Buckley victories in both Veterans’ team competitions enhanced already significant leads.
Mens’ Division 2 saw Wrexham AC take victory on the day by virtue of having 5 runners in the top 20, with an 83 point margin over 2nd placed Ellesmere Port RC. The latter however remain comfortable division leaders.
Womens’s Division 2 saw Wirral AC‘s women doing enough to record another victory on the day and extend their lead, with Deestriders taking 2nd place on the day and clawing their way back into the other promotion spot.

Only one correction necessary in the finalised results. Individual standings now include the FV70 category, having previously been omitted in error.
Individual : Results Standings
Team : Results Standings

Race 4: Tattenhall, 27th January 2019

Even though the strong winds initially raised a question over whether the race would go ahead, another course record turnout resulted in 372 finishers battling the elements and the gradients of the familiar Tattenhall course.
Joe Boden of Wallasey AC made it a hat-trick of wins in the Mens’ race, just shading Ricky Challinor of Buckley RC by 3 seconds, with Ed Flynn of Ellesmere Port RC another second further back.
Helsby RC’s Hannah Cowley did likewise in the Womens’ race, but in far greater comfort, having a 61-second margin over Prestatyn RC’s Amie Bagnall in second place.
The familiar Buckley RC/Wallasey AC battle for supremacy at the top of both Mens’ and Womens’ Division 1 continued apace, with the lead changing hands in both competitions.
The Mens’ competition saw the Welsh team get 10 runners home in the top 37 places and turn a 48 point deficit into an 82 point lead. Conversely, the Wallasey women grabbed a narrow 4 point vistory on the day to turn a 2 point deficit into a 2 point lead – while Helsby RC slipped back somewhat.
Mens’ Division Two saw Ellesmere Port RC and Wrexham AC make comfortably their best scores of the season – the former taking victory on the day by 11 points. The latter leapfrogged Chester Tri (hitherto 2nd) and suddenly put 250+ points between themselves and the triathletes.
Wirral AC’s women extended their lead at the top of Division 2 a little further with another victory on the day, while Abergele Harriers’ best performance of the season took them up into 2nd place.
Buckley RC‘s veterans (Men and Women) maintained their leads at the top of their respective competitions.

A few corrections have been notified and these are reflected in the finalised results below.
Individual Results Team Results
Individual Standings Team Standings

Race 3: Trac Mon, Ty Croes, 9th December 2018

The remoteness of the venue and inconvenient change of date failed to deter some 260+ runners, who made their way to the Anglesey coast to be greeted by the excellent facilities of Trac Mon, on a bright, but brisk December morning. The “briskness” gave the field a testing headwind to contend with on the 2 and a bit lap, 5 mile course – mainly on the uphill stretches of the race track.
Joe Boden of Wallasey AC registered a second successive win in the Mens’ race, eventually pulling out a margin of 14 seconds over Ellesmere Port’s second placed Dave Bennett.
Emily Kearney (Wirral AC) thwarted Helsby RC’s Hannah Cowley in her bid to register a hat-trick of wins this season in the Women’s race – in doing so, registering her own 4th BL victory.
Weakened turnouts saw some significant changes in the team competitions.
In Mens’ Division One, Wallasey AC‘s first 9 runners were home in the top 30 places, and their resulting win by 106 points over Buckley RC saw them overtake the Welsh club at the top of the table. Conversely, Womens’ Division One saw Buckley RC win on the day (from the improving West Cheshire AC) and take over at the top from Wallasey AC – by just two points – and with Helsby RC only another two further back.
In Mens’ Division Two, while Ellesmere Port RC marched on with another commanding win to stay top of the table, a strong Chester Tri turnout saw them finish 2nd on the day and overhaul Wrexham AC to take 2nd place.
Womens’ Division Two saw Wirral AC win comfortably on the day and stretch their lead at the top of the table even further from 2nd placed Deestriders.
A strong turnout from Buckley’s male and female vets has seen them take over at the top of both Veteran competitions.
The individual and team results have now been finalised, along with the team standings
First individual standings will be listed after race 4.

Race 2: Upton by Chester, 14th November 2018

Even on Remembrance Sunday with an early (0930) start, West Cheshire AC’s “Spring 5 miler” course once again drew a record-breaking turnout, on a damp but ultimately bright morning. Not only did the total of 441 finishers surpass the previous record of 434, the Womens’ turnout of 153 also set a new record, and justified the decision to increase the “no-show” penalty score this season from 150 to 200.
The Mens’ race saw a reversal of last month’s 1-2-3 with Joe Boden of Wallasey AC winning his first ever Borders race with a 19-second margin over Ricky Challinor (Buckley RC), and Ellesmere Port’s Dave Bennett a little further back.
Hannah Cowley (Helsby RC) made it two wins in a row in the Womens’ race, with a 20-second margin over Prestatyn RC’s Amie Bagnall and Chester Tri’s Zoe McLennan 3rd.
The Mens’ team competition in Division One saw the same finishing order as last month, with Buckley RC winning narrowly on the day from Wallasey AC, with West Cheshire AC, another 24 points further back, already now the only other club with a chance of making a challenge.
In contrast, the Womens’ team competition saw excellent performances from 6 of the 7 teams in the top division with West Cheshire AC just pipping Buckley RC on the day, but not enough to dislodge Wallasey AC and Helsby RC from the top slots.
Bennett’s Ellesmere Port team recorded a second successive win in Mens’ Division 2 to make them favourites for promotion, while another 2nd place for Wrexham AC saw them pull a little further away from 3rd-placed Chester Tri. Similarly Wirral AC’s women recorded their second Division 2 victory, with another 2nd place for Deestriders consolidating their position behind Wirral.
West Cheshire AC and Buckley RC are the pacesetters in the Mens’ Veterans competition, while solid performances took Wallasey AC and Buckley RC to the top of the Womens’ Veterans competition at the expense of Ellesmere Port RC.

Some difficulties were encountered in producing the results. Four clubs who attempted to register runners on the day fell foul of the newly-required GDPR protocol. If nothing else, it emphasised how much easier life is now for all concerned if new registrations are made in advance of races. Please take note!
The results are now finalised and should be visible on Powerof10/RunBritain from Friday 16th November.
Here are links to the finalised individual results and team results, as well as team standings after 2 races.

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Race 1: New Brighton, 14th October 2018

Wirral AC’s smooth and efficient organisation saw the new season get off to a great start, with 411 finishers (2nd highest turnout ever) enjoying perfect distance running conditions on a cool grey morning, running a 5 mile circuit which took in the promenade and coastal embankment.
In the Mens’ race, Ellesmere Port’s Dave Bennett maintained his recent stellar form, pipping last season’s champion Ricky Challinor (Buckley RC) by 10 seconds to record his first BL victory. Joe Boden (Wallasey AC) was another 8 seconds further back in 3rd place.
The Womens’ race saw Helsby RC’s Hannah Cowley likewise celebrate a first-time win – her dramatic improvement in 2018 confirmed by an overall position of 37th and a winning margin of over a minute from Carol Parsons (Ellesmere Port RC).
Defending champions Buckley RC‘s 43 point margin over Wallasey AC in the Mens’ team event suggests a familiar battle looming, but West Cheshire AC were only single point further back. Similarly, the 2017-18 Womens’ Champions Wallasey AC were also winners on the day, but could face serious challenges from Ellesmere Port RC (2nd) and Helsby RC.
Bennett’s Ellesmere Port RC Mens’ team put in a strong performance to take victory over Wrexham AAC and an early lead in Division 2. Meanwhile in the womens’ division, Wirral AC made a promising start in their bid to regain top division status, with victory on the day ahead of Deestriders.

Here are links to the finalised individual and team results.

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You can find results of previous years’ races in our Results Archive.