SIX St Helens Sutton Athletics Club veteran runners tackled the Snowdonia Marathon at the weekend.

The club was led home by Andrew Wilson (V40yrs ), who finished the hilly course 43rd from a field of 1,500 finishers, in 3hrs 5mins 54 secs.

Next to finish was Greg Carns (V45) in 187th place in 3hrs 30mins 2secs, followed by Mark Liptrot (V50) 289th in 3hrs 40mins 39secs.

Gary Oldham (V45) was 558th in 3hrs 58mins 24secs and Ian Roberts (V40) 659th in 4 hrs 5mins 39secs.

The club’s only female in the race, Sonya Monaghan (V45) crossed the line in 4hrs 14 mins 32secs to finish 80th woman.

The race started at Llanberis and climbed to the top of the Llanberis Pass (Pen y Pass 1,100ft). It then dropped down to Pen Y Cwyryd junction, with the going being a mixture of farm track and tarmac.

Then it was a short, sharp ascent to the main road at the campsite. The course then rose to Beddgelert (200ft), continued to Waunfawr, and then a rapid climb to about 1,200ft at Bwlch y Groes, where a short length of road led to the downhill finish in Llanberis.

The club also turned out four runners in the Liverpool and District Cross Country League match at Skelmersdale’s testing Beacon Park course.

Steve Anders was the first to finish in 26th place with a time of 34mins 28secs, followed by Greg Williams, 29th, 35mins 42secs, Rachel McGoldrick, seventh woman, 45mins 11secs, and Ian Hayburn, 59th, 39mins 29secs.