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The Wirral Endurance Program has been running since 2017, and over those five years has grown from two coaches to 16 coaches and over 100 athletes.
In 2020 the program expanded into fell running, training both in the Heswall Dales and out in North Wales at Moel Famau for advanced training. The young athletes have taken to Fell and Mountain running with zest and enthusiasm, and the parents and coaches have bravely taken on a lot of driving to locations across the north of England.
In their second year (2021) Wirral AC came from nowhere to be the second club in England which caused a stir among the Cumbrian and Yorkshire teams who have historically dominated. At the prizegiving in Kendal, the club was told that what they had done in such a short time was amazing.
On Sunday 15 May, the young athletes of the Wirral Endurance Program competed in the third round of the English Fell Running Association Championships in Great Whernside in the Yorkshire Dales which was also the British Inter-County Championships.
The Merseyside team for the Inter-Counties was entirely made up of runners from the Wirral Endurance Program, plus one from Southport Waterloo.
A fantastic day’s racing saw Merseyside win two individual gold medals for Meg Hoshiko and Alex Poulston, the first since Sarah Kearney won gold in 2014. Sarah is now a senior coach in the endurance program.
The day’s racing also saw the first team inter-counties title in fell running history for Merseyside, as the U15 Girls shocked Yorkshire and Cumbria to take the overall gold. The team was made up of the Hoshiko sisters, Meg and Tommi, and Isla Pastor.
Alex’s brilliant run at U17 has earned him an England call-up for the European Mountain Running Cup to be held in Italy in June.
The Medal table:
Meg Hoshiko – Individual Gold at U15
Isla Pastor – Individual Bronze at U15
Alex Poulston – Individual Gold at U17
U15 Girls – Gold
U15 Boys – Bronze
U19 Girls – Bronze
On Sunday 22 May, the fell team set off for the next round of the championships. Although a small team, they nailed enough podium positions to take the club to the top of the National Fell Running League.
A club spokesperson said, “A special shout out to Meg Hoshiko who has now won the British Inter-Counties title and the overall National Fell Running Championship. A double that is extremely rare, and the first time in the history of the Club that someone has achieved this.
“Another massive shout out to Alex Poulston, who has been selected to run for England at U18 after winning the British Inter-Counties. He will be flying to Italy in June to take on the best young mountain runners in Europe.”
Any young runners keen to join the best running program in Merseyside should email Ronan Kearney on getronan@hotmail.com
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