THOUSANDS took to the streets of Warrington on Sunday for the annual English Half Marathon.

Next year will be the 10th edition of this version of the popular race.

But it is not the first time a road race has taken place through the streets of Warrington.

This week in Yester Years we are looking back to 1988 when the last Warrington Half Marathon took place.

Racers then started at Market Gate in the centre of town before heading off on the route.

Derek Vernon, number 378, was the final winner of the race when he beat 100s of runners in the town’s last half marathon when he was 28-years-old.

He finished the gruelling 13-mile course in one hour and seven minutes.

He said: “I was absolutely over the moon when I won. It felt like I had won the lottery. I was just so happy, it was the nicest feeling. When I looked around at the start I didn’t recognise any faces and then after half a mile I knew it was going to win it. By the time I got to a mile I was 400 metres clear.”