Meet the Run Leaders – St Helens Striders

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Alex Abbott

Coach since 2017

Les Abbott

Les started running 1994 and joined St Helen Striders the same year. He is a run leader for both A and B groups. His favourite session is Indian file along the Rainford bypass.

Jenny Appleton

Jenny has been running for just over two years having started out when training for a 5k Santa Dash and realising she couldn’t even run around the block! She found that she actually quite enjoyed running and joined Striders in 2017. Since then she has run all kinds of distances from 5k to half-marathons thanks to the confidence built from being part of a club. She leads with Group C and her favourite sessions are muster runs and efforts. She does not like hills whatsoever!

Kylie Barlow

After Kylie left university she joined the gym to lose weight and ran a little bit on the treadmill. She did the race for life 5k in 2012 but still only ran on the treadmill and outside occasionally on a dry and warm day, but in 2013 she entered the first Wigan 10k. After that she was hooked and joined Striders in 2014! She enjoys any sort of repetition session like mile efforts, out and backs or track sessions and always a cross country session for the mud and hills!

Kevin Cairns

Kevin started running seriously when the St Helens Parkrun began. For a few weeks he could not complete the 5km course without a little walk usually on the hills. Gradually he improved and started getting quicker and stronger, also making lots of friends and meeting some Striders thinking they are such good runners. He did his first 10km a few months later and my first half marathon the following year. His favourite race is the Wigan 10km.

He took the plunge and joined Striders and ran with groups B1 and B2 and A occassionally. His favourite sessions are the short speed sessions like pyramids and efforts. He is not a huge fan of hills.

Daniel Cheetham

Danny started running 4 years ago as part of a lifestyle change and instantly fell in love with it. He joined the Striders in 2017 and since then running has become a huge part of his life. He prefers to run the longer distances, however, his favourite club sessions are Indian File and Pyramids. Danny is a people person and gets a lot of satisfaction from encouraging and helping his fellow runners achieve their goals.

He usually trains with and leads group A.

Jackie Dobson

Jackie has been running since April 2014, and joined Striders later that year.
Jackie feels running gives her the right balance of, fitness, mindset, helping to keep her weight down, & the social aspect.
Her favourite sessions are- Indian file, muster run & trail (in the spring/summer)
As races go the furthest she’s done is a 10 miler.
She would like to do a half marathon & maybe even a full one, but as long as she stays injury free she’ll be happy just doing the parkrun each week & a few 10ks

Paul Dowdle

Paul started running regularly in 2015 to improve my fitness and keep active.
He joined Striders in December 2015 and saw big improvements in his running in 2016 by following the coaches plans and listening to the run leaders and other runners.
His favourite session is any where you get to run up and down hills for a bit!
He would also highly recommend giving the cross country training and races in the winter a go.

Rachael Fairclough

Run Leader since 2012 and Coach since 2016

Rachael started running in 2004 when she was at University as she had spent too much time drinking and eating! She entered her first half marathon which was the Great North Run, in 2006 and joined the club shortly afterwards as she wanted to keep up training now that she had moved back to the area. Her favourite club session has always been Indian File – “it’s a great session which combines both a decent length run and also some efforts!” She run leads in group A but coaches B2.

Mark Fillingham

Mark started running as a teenager with Sutton Harriers and then Warrington AC. He ran on and off over the years and really started to run regularly again to loose weight and get fit in 2009 and subsequently joined Striders in 2016. He enjoys competing in races in the club colours with fellow Striders.

Ian Floyd

Ian started running to get fitter and to lose weight. He joined the club in April 2017 and completed the Run Leader Course in September 2017. His favourite sessions are hills and Indian File. Her currently runs with group B2.

Kelly Hamilton

Kelly joined the Striders in October 2016, which was 6 months after the birth of her second child. A friend of hers was already a member of the club and she came to her first session under her friends wing. Her reason for joining Striders at that time was to get fit after pregnancy. She saw big improvements in her running fitness over a short space of time and has competed in races on the road, track and cross country. She qualified as a run leader in September 2017 and then went on to qualify as a coach in running fitness in June 2019. Her favourite sessions are track and Indian File. She run leads and coaches group A.

Nigel Herbert

Nigel started running in early 2017 after being ‘dragged’ along to parkrun with a colleague. He later joined the Striders as he was looking for a more structured training plan. He hasn’t looked back since, he has made some life ling friends from the Striders.

Nigel’s favourite session is a muster run, as this is a perfect opportunity to get to know the rest of the group.

There is no better feeling that watching others achieve their goals!

Frank McAllister

Frank started running aged 12 until 17 at Liverpool. He then gave up running until he was 25 and has been with the Strider’s for 35 years. His favourite session is a hill session preferably on grass or off road – “you get a brill workout.” He also likes fartlek sessions and loves being with C group.

Kevin Outten

I started running again in 2013 after an absence of 25 years and joined Striders not long after. Since then I have build up my fitness with the help of the club sessions and have progressed running 5ks to marathons and ultras. My favourite session in tempo run.

Tony Padmore

Tony has been running since about 2009/10. Tonys favourite session is Victoria Park Hills. Tony generally leads either group B1 or B2.

Libby Phillipson

Libby started running in 2012 because she hated being cooped up in a gym. She joined Striders a few months after moving to St. Helens in 2016, and the club and members have definitely been the key factor in keeping her motivated to put her trainers on.

Over the years her focus has shifted from speed to endurance both on the road and trails. She’s done a mix of running events, and her favourites are the Knowsley Safari 10 Miler, Coniston 14 and the hardest run she’s ever done, Keswick Mountain Festival 25k.

She’s known for my love/hate relationship with hills!

She usually trains with and leads group C.

Richard Seville

Richard running in 2010 after a corporate running competition at work. He trained on his own for 6 years and then joined Striders in 2016. His favourite session is pyramid intervals. He trains with and leads group A.

Rachel Tickle

I started running in 2014 joined Striders in 2015. I run with B2 and my favourite session is Indian File and pyramid session.