Last updated: August 24th, 2010
Race History
In the early 1980s, Joe Pringle, a teacher at St. Mary's College in Wallasey, had the notion to start a running club called Arrowe Roadrunners. He also had the desire to organise various races at different locations on the seafront of Wirral. Following races on the beach at Hoylake, the promenade at New Brighton and the embankment at Moreton and Leasowe he settled for the Wirral Seaside Runs starting from Leasowe Lighthouse and finishing at Harrison Drive. This was pretty much the same race as is run today. Joe always had a band of helpers including his wife Ann and several students from St. Mary's College and so was born the Wirral Seaside Runs in 1985. This coincided with the boom years of running and marathons and the turnout at the races always exceeded 100 and even as much as 315 for one race.
In 1990 Joe and Ann had a major career move and left to teach in Saudi Arabia. The organisation was taken up by Roy Fisher, a friend of the Pringles. Roy had helped at many of the previous races and so knew what to do but didn't have a regular band of helpers. Help was recruited from relatives, friends and members of Pensby Roadrunners, a local club which Roy ran with. Roy set about consolidating the race series especially as the boom time for running was waning slightly. Several changes were introduced in order to be more efficient, accurate and less dependent on a large group of helpers. Since 1990 the database of runners has grown to be over 2000 different runners. Despite this there is a core of regulars who rarely miss an event.
Since then the Series has become affiliated to the athletics governing body and has reached the 100th race in June 1997 with a field of 183. The first race in 2010 of the 26th series will be number 201. Perhaps the boom isn't over.
In 1990 Joe and Ann had a major career move and left to teach in Saudi Arabia. The organisation was taken up by Roy Fisher, a friend of the Pringles. Roy had helped at many of the previous races and so knew what to do but didn't have a regular band of helpers. Help was recruited from relatives, friends and members of Pensby Roadrunners, a local club which Roy ran with. Roy set about consolidating the race series especially as the boom time for running was waning slightly. Several changes were introduced in order to be more efficient, accurate and less dependent on a large group of helpers. Since 1990 the database of runners has grown to be over 2000 different runners. Despite this there is a core of regulars who rarely miss an event.
Since then the Series has become affiliated to the athletics governing body and has reached the 100th race in June 1997 with a field of 183. The first race in 2010 of the 26th series will be number 201. Perhaps the boom isn't over.
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