Member Article

New Easter Sunday Race In Hale Village

A new Easter Sunday race – the BTR Hale Village 5 Mile – takes place in Hale Village this weekend (5 April).

The introduction of the new event follows the cancellation of the usual Easter Sunday event Run The Bridge, which is unable to go ahead this year due to work on the new Mersey Gateway crossing.

The BTR Hale Village 5 Mile run starts and finishes in Hale Park, with runners setting off at 9.30am. The loop course then takes in Cocklade Lane, Pepper Street, Town Lane, Hale Gate Road, Halebank Road, Higher Road, Ramsbrook Lane and High Street, before returning to Hale Park.

The 5-mile Run The Bridge had been staged for 15 years, and its cancellation was met with considerable disappointment from the Merseyside and North West running communities.

Given its standing in the race calendar, organisers Halton Council felt it was important to find an alternative that would continue to showcase picturesque Hale Village. This prompted discussions between BTR Liverpool and Halton Borough Council.

BTR already hosts a race in Hale Village, a 5-mile race in July as part of the challenging 52-mile BTR Tour Of Merseyside, which sees runners complete six races of various distances over seven days.

The new race will bring back memories for seasoned runners as the course takes a similar route as the old Hale 5 staged in the 1980s and 1990s.

BTR Liverpool is the leading independent organisation for creating, managing and delivering headline race events in Liverpool City Region. Its portfolio of nine other race events includes the Liverpool Santa Dash, Liverpool and Wirral Half Marathons, and Port Sunlight and Mersey Tunnel 10Ks.

BTR Race Director Alan Rothwell said:

“The Easter Sunday run in Hale has been a firm fixture in the Merseyside and North West race calendars for 15 years, so we are delighted to be working with Halton Council to help continue this tradition by introducing a new event.

“I ran in the original Hale 5 race many times and it was a fantastic event, so we’re excited to bring back an old favourite. Coming to Hale is a real highlight of the Tour Of Merseyside and we’re looking forward to staging a second event in the village which is a perfect backdrop for race events.”

Bill Smith, Chairman for Halton Road Race Committee, added:

“It was with great sadness we had to cancel the popular Run The Bridge due to the ongoing road works for the new Mersey Gateway. This situation is likely to continue for at least the next three years, after which we hope to be able to bring the event back onto the road race calendar. Until then, we wish BTR the best of luck with the revival of the Hale 5 race on Easter Sunday.”

A structured traffic management plan will ensure minimal inconvenience for Hale Village residents. Participants will not be allowed to park in Hale Village. Instead, they will be directed to a designated parking area to enable normal traffic movement continues up to the start of the race. Roads will reopen soon after the race finishes.

Runners have been invited to raise funds for children’s charity, KIND, which is celebrating 40 years supporting disadvantaged children and their families.

Finishers will receive a commemorative medal, T-shirt and goody bag. Entries are still open – in person at the BTR office at 23 Hatton Garden, Liverpool city centre, or on race day but arrive early to register.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Erica Dillon .