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!

Results 2024-25

Season 2024-25

League Relay and Presentation Evening – Ffrith Resort, Prestatyn, 7th May 2025

Despite a fine spring evening offering perfect racing conditions, numbers were down somewhat in comparison to the previous season’s relays. Nonetheless, 13 clubs were represented at the final event of the season, with a total of 41 teams of 4 racing over a course of approximately 1800 metres.
Winners of the main categories (times in brackets) were as follows:
Senior Men: West Cheshire AC (21.24)
Senior Women: Wirral AC (26.15)
Veteran Men: Buckley RC (23.48)
Veteran Women: Buckley RC (28.01)

There was also an “Open Mixed” category, won by the “A” team of Chester Tri (25.26)

The results include as much detail as was supplied, with some but not all teams including individual leg times in post-race submissions.

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Race 6, Mold, 6th April 2025

The final race of the season was blessed with pleasant spring sunshine. Some 329 athletes were able to enjoy this as they ran a new, safer, version of the familiar Nercwys course – just as hilly as ever, but this time with more descent than ascent. The effort hosts Buckley RC had put in to make this race possible was rewarded with a very successful event.
Coming into this race, it seemed the destinations of most of the major awards had already been decided, and indeed, there were few surprises or reversals of fortune in the results on the day. Josh Griffiths (Deeside AC) made his first appearance since winning the opening Mens race of the season in September, and bookended his season with another win here, a fairly comfortable 10 seconds ahead of clubmate Luke Burgess. The latter nonetheless clinched the Individual Mens Overall title with his performance here.
  A weaker Deeside AC turnout for the Womens race provided an opportunity for others to make their mark – seized by Anna Drinkwater (Eryri Harriers), who had a decisive 45 second margin ahead of 2nd placed Tracy Rogers (Buckley RC). The absent Emily Haggard Kearney (Deeside AC) was already assured of the Individual Womens Overall title.
 In the team competitions, another powerful performance from Helsby RC‘s Mens team – all counters placed in the top 60 – gave them a decisive win on the day and their first League title in more than 20 years. Also packing well were Buckley RC, whose 2nd place on the day took them past Wrexham AC and into 2nd place in the League standings.
While Deeside AC had an unassailable lead in Womens Division 1, and duly retained their League title here, Buckley RC‘s women more than matched their male counterparts with a season’s best performance that took them from 4th to 2nd in the Division standings.
Mens Division 2 saw Ellesmere Port RC and Wirral AC gain promotion, the former as champions. Prestatyn RC‘s win on the day over Wirral was not enough for them to overhaul the top two. In the Womens division, Chester Tri‘s comfortable win on the day ensured their promotion as champions, with Prestatyn RC‘s second place insufficient to prevent Eryri Harriers from grabbing the second promotion spot.
West Cheshire AC took the Veteran Mens title, while Buckley RC‘s women retained their Veterans title.

The results published below have now been finalised.
Individual Results
Team Results
Individual Standings
Team Standings

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Race 5, Capenhurst, 16th March 2025

No weather-induced delays or cancellations this time – the early spring sunshine and cool temperatures provided perfect racing conditions for the 400-strong field on hosts Ellesmere Port’s fast, flat, certified 5 mile course.
Both Mens and Womens races saw the first two finishers finish comfortably ahead of the rest of the field, the Deeside AC winners extending their respective streaks of League victories. Three in a row for Luke Burgess (Deeside AC), breaking the 25 minute mark and finishing 31 seconds ahead of 2nd placed Conor Sarsfield (Helsby RC) – and seven up for Emily Haggard Kearney, her winning time of 27:36 leaving her more than a minute and a half clear of her 2nd placed Mia Roberts.
These latter results, along with another four counters finishing in the first 23, ensured not only victory on the day for Deeside AC in Womens Division 1 – it all but clinched the League title with just one race to go, with three clubs now in contention for 2nd place. Meanwhile Helsby RC‘s men took victory in the day in Mens Division 1 (ahead of Chester Tri) with their 10 counters all finishing in the top 40. This extended their lead at the top of the division to almost 400 points and brought a first League title for many years within their grasp..
Ellesmere Port RC‘s men seem assured of the Division 2 title after another victory on the day, but another 2nd place finish for Prestatyn RC has given them a chance of catching Wirral AC and grabbing the other promotion slot.
Womens Division 2 saw a strong Eryri Harriers team take victory on the day over Chester Tri and move into 2nd place in the League standings ahead of Ellesmere Port. The triathletes remain at the top of the Division and seem assured of promotion.
In the Veteran categories, West Cheshire AC’s men hold a slender lead over Wrexham AAC, while Buckley RC look strong favourites to take the Womens title.

The published results below have now been finalised.

Individual Results
Team Results
Individual Standings
Team Standings

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Race 3, Coleg Cambria, Kelsterton, 26th January 2025

Early morning ice forced hosts Deestriders to put back the start of the race by 15 minutes while the course was inspected. The subsequent decision to go ahead was rewarded with a safe and successful race, with more than 360 runners taking on the infamous Kelsterton Lane hill in the chilly conditions.
The Mens race saw a repeat of the 1-2 from Tattenhall, though this time the margin of victory was much tighter – Luke Burgess (Deeside AC) keeping Stephen Ferroni (Wallasey AC) at bay with just a 5 second gap between the athletes. Emily Haggard Kearney (Deeside AC) recorded another comfortable win in the Womens race, with 1 minute and 30 seconds to spare over newcomer Luisa Candioli (Helsby RC).
The Mens Division 1 saw a win on the day for Buckley RC, ahead of Chester Tri. The former club got all their 10 counters home in the top 60 places and drew closer to Wrexham AC, who held onto their second place, 70 points adrift of leaders Helsby.
Womens Division 1 continues to be dominated by Deeside AC and Helsby RC. It was the turn of the former club to take victory on the day over the latter, and the two clubs appear to have moved clear of the rest of the division.
Ellesmere Port RC‘s men marched on at the head of Division 2 with another victory on the day, ahead of Prestatyn RC. A weakened Wirral AC nonetheless retained their 2nd place in the Division.
Womens Division 2 saw another win for Chester Tri to extend their lead at the top of the Division. Eryri Harriers were 2nd on the day, and appear to be mounting a challenge to Ellesmere Port for the second promotion slot.

The results below include individual standings for the first time this season.
The appeal launched by Wrexham AC against the disqualification of one of their athletes has been upheld.
The athlete has now been reinstated in the results, which have now been duly amended and finalised.
The report above has been amended to reflect the effect this has had on the Mens Division 1 team scores and standings.

Individual Results
Team Results
Individual Standings
Team Standings
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Race 2, Tattenhall, 3rd November 2024

Same day, almost exactly the same date – Sunday, 4th November, 1984 – this was where it all began 40 years ago, with the first ever Borders League race. Fittingly (and quite by chance), founder members Tattenhall Runners were once again hosts for what could be regarded as the League’s “40th anniversary” race, and threw all of their resources into delivering a hugely successful event. In excellent conditions for racing, 422 finishers (quadruple the turnout in 1984) battled round the familiar, but challenging 9.8K course.
The Mens race saw another first-time winner – once again, a new recruit for Deeside AC.  Luke Burgess was the man who pushed Stephen Ferroni (Wallasey AC) into second place on this occasion, with a 34 seconds margin of victory. Another new face, Conor Sarsfield (Helsby RC) was another 38 seconds further back in 3rd.
Emily Haggard Kearney (Deeside AC) had a 1 minute 45 seconds margin over her team mate Abigail Doherty in the Womens race, her 12th BL win overall. Just over a minute further back was 3rd-placed Hannah Cowley.
The team competitions saw two dominant performances in Mens Division 1 from Wrexham AC and Helsby RC, with each club bringing their 10 counters home in the top 50. The Welsh club took the win on the day, but Helsby remain leaders at the top of the division, with both clubs now clear of the remainder of the division.
There was more success for Helsby RC in Womens Division 1, where their win on the day saw them leapfrog defending champions Deeside AC to take a slender lead in what still looks a competitive division.
Division 2 Men saw Ellesmere Port RC register another win ahead of Wirral AC, results which consolidated those two clubs’ positions at the head of the division. Meanwhile, Chester Tri took the win on the day in Womens Division 2, some 50 points ahead of Cybi Striders.
Results below have now been finalised.
Individual Results
Team Results
Team Standings

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Race 1, Norton Priory, 29th September 2024

Not for the first time, hosts Helsby had come up with a brand new venue to get the new League season under way. Some 440 runners crowded onto and behind the start line on a chilly September morning, but were soon warmed up as the race got under way around a twisty and undulating course, that was just short of 5 miles in length.
The Mens race saw two new faces dominate. Josh Griffiths (Deeside AC) led the field home with a 32 second margin over 2nd-placed Stephen Ferroni (Wallasey AC), in turn 28 seconds ahead of Connor Rogers (Wrexham AC) in 3rd.
In contrast, the first two home the Womens race were more familiar figures – Emily Haggard Kearney (Deeside AC) beating Hannah Cowley (Helsby RC) by 97 seconds, with Jordan Foster (UTS RC) in 3rd place.
No such wide margins in the team competitions, however. Mens Division 1 saw the host club Helsby RC win on the day with 422 points to take a useful 66 point lead over Buckley RC, but only 173 points separate top club from bottom. Similarly, Womens Division 1 saw defending champions Deeside AC win narrowly (173 points to 177) over Helsby RC, but here also, the competition is fierce, with the 6th club only 46 points adrift of the leaders.
In the Division 2 competitions, Ellesmere Port RC have started their promotion bids strongly, following their double relegation last season. Their wins in the Mens and Womens Divisions were followed by 2nd places for Wirral AC and Chester TC respectively.

The results below have now been finalised.
Individual Results
Team Results
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You can find results of previous years’ races in our Results Archive.

Updated 26/05/2025