LYMM took centre stage as hundreds of runners gathered to complete a 40-mile race through Warrington.

The Warrington Way Ultra Marathon started at 7.30am on Saturday, November 12, taking more than 200 hundred runners on a circuit around the town before finishing back in Lymm village.

Now in its third year, the event is organised by Lymm Runners with races competing as individuals, in pairs or relay teams of four.

A spokesman for the club said: “It has come to be more than just a race along rural tracks and trails (and the odd patch of slurry).

“The race’s Facebook page was overwhelmed by posts thanking the 50 volunteers, commending the slick organisation and thanking fellow runners and members of the public who had given them encouragement along the way.”

Finishers got a plate of hot chilli, a cup of tea and some cake – and their finishers T shirt and medal back at race HQ in the village hall on Pepper Street.

For one Lymm Runner the race meant even more than most.

Graham Chilton was running the race for the mental health charity Mind with team mates Rebecca Beard and Chris Buckley to raise both awareness of mental health issues in the UK and funds for this charity.

It followed the tragic loss of his wife in 2016 due to depression. So far he has raised more than £2,500 and counting.

For Graham this was also a major personal challenge as it was the first time he had run that distance which he did in a time of 8 hours 38 minutes.

Meanwhile The Lymm Reapers – a team of four male Lymm Runners, all aged 60 or over – were the eighth relay team to finish in a remarkable 6 hours 21 minutes The race was won by Lee Ireland as the first man home in 5 hours 20 minutes and Keely Smith as the first woman in 6 hours 15 minutes.

  •  Lymm Runners meet outside the leisure centre on Thursdays at 7pm, and outside the library on Sundays at 8.30am and Wednesdays at 9.15am.

On Tuesdays they meet outside the leisure centre at 7pm for the Social Whistle Run or in Winter at Victoria Park, Latchford at 7pm for the track training session The club was formed in 2010 and now has more than 240 members.

For more visit lymrunners.org.uk.