Last Sunday, two members of Newport & District Running Club took part in the Mersey Tunnel 10k, a point-to-point race that starts in Vauxhall, Liverpool, and finishes on the seafront in New Brighton, taking runners through the Mersey Tunnel itself, then along the side of the Mersey itself, through Seacombe and Egremont towards the finish. The course features around 65 metres of climbing, and this year the runners were greeted with sunny conditions for the race.

Louise Patterson with her medal at the finish

Louise Patterson finished 1,302nd overall, setting herself a new course PB of 1 hour, 4 minutes, 37 seconds, having taken part in the same race previously. Sue Wylie was 1,452nd in a time of 1:07:13.

The crowds enter the Mersey Tunnel early in the race (photo: Nick Wylie)

Louise said afterwards: “My winter training had been going well ahead of a PB attempt at the Stafford Half Marathon, but then I managed to strain both calves, one after the other, within a 5 week period. After the second injury, I decided to abandon my half marathon hopes and focus on my long term goal of a PB at the Loch Ness Marathon later on in September. 

I went into the Mersey Tunnel 10k having run no more than 4 miles since my injuries, and with the goal of finishing without picking up another one. This was the 3rd time I’ve done this race, and it is always a special one for me, as my family is from Liverpool and my grandad helped build the very tunnel I would be running through. 

A view across the Mersey to the new Everton FC stadium

The race started only a few hundred metres away from the mouth of the Kingsway tunnel, which was closed to traffic especially for us. Taking us directly under the Mersey, we traversed the first 2km of the race with the sound of feet slapping the tarmac echoing around us as well as the shout and reply of “Oggy Oggy Oggy – Oy Oy Oy!”. The tunnel was very warm, and as the initial descent changed to a gradual climb, I was begging to “see the light” of the Wirral and the fresh cool air. 

Louise made a new friend at the finish – Louis the dog!

Upon leaving the tunnel, we furtled through an industrial estate, before picking up the Millennium Trail next to the river and headed to New Brighton. I got a marvellous look at the new Everton football stadium and snapped a photo for my dad. I hadn’t put any pressure on myself for a time, but as I was getting closer to the finish I desperately wanted to come in under 65 minutes. Nowhere near a 10K PB for me, but on this course it would be, by over 2 minutes. I finished with a time of 64:37, injury free, and managed to make a new friend at the end too.”