# Four Villages Half Marathon

The Four Villages Half Marathon is an annual road running event held during January in Cheshire, United Kingdom. The race is organised by Helsby Running Club. The event's course passes through the villages of Dunham on the Hill, Mouldsworth, Manley, Alvanley and Helsby.

## History

The race was started in 1982 by staff from BICC, a manufacturing firm formerly located in Helsby. The race was inspired by the first London Marathon (which had been held on 29 March 1981), as well as to raise money to send a terminally ill local lad on the trip of a lifetime to Disneyland.
The original route was through the four villages of Thornton-le-Moors, Ince, Elton and Helsby. In 1999, the course was changed to a similar course to the current (with some adjustments along the way), passing Dunham-on-the-Hill, Mouldsworth, Manley and Helsby.

## Winners

| Edition | Date | Time (h:m:s) | First Man | Time (h:m:s) | First Woman |
| 41 | 19 Jan 2025 | 1:07:21 | Daniel Cliffe | 1:17:53 | Kate Ward |
| 40 | 21 Jan 2024 | 1:09:12 | Matthew Rhys Collins | 1:18:40 | Rachael Burns |
| 39 | 15 Jan 2023 | 1:07:51 | Omar Ahmed | 1:14:49 | Anna Bracegirdle |
| 38 | 16 Jan 2022 | 1:07:22 | Michael Kallenberg | 1:15:20 | Anna Bracegirdle |
| | Jan 2021 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 | Cancelled due to COVID-19 |
| 37 | 19 Jan 2020 | 1:06:14 | Mohammed Abu-Rezeq | 1:14:31 | Eleanor Whyman-Davis |
| 36 | 20 Jan 2019 | 1:06:38 | Mohammed Abu-Rezeq | 1:18:08 | Kirsty Longley |
| 35 | 21 Jan 2018 | 1:09:09 | Ben Fish | 1:19:40 | Gemma Connolly |
| 34 | 15 Jan 2017 | 1:07:24 | Mohammed Abu-Rezeq | 1:19:18 | Gemma Connolly |
| 33 | 17 Jan 2016 | 1:07:06 | Michael Kallenberg | 1:22:46 | Gemma Connolly |
| | 18 Jan 2015 | Cancelled due to bad weather | Cancelled due to bad weather | Cancelled due to bad weather | Cancelled due to bad weather |
| 32 | 19 Jan 2014 | 1:05:46 | Mohammed Abu-Rezeq | 1:19:23 | Dianne McVey |
| | 20 Jan 2013 | Cancelled due to bad weather | Cancelled due to bad weather | Cancelled due to bad weather | Cancelled due to bad weather |
| 31 | 22 Jan 2012 | 1:08:32 | Martin Williams | 1:21:05 | Gemma Connolly |
| 30 | 23 Jan 2011 | 1:05:55 | Neil Renault | 1:14:31 | Michelle Ross-Cope |
| 29 | 17 Jan 2010 | 1:04:54 | Dave Webb | 1:15:02 | Michelle Ross-Cope |
| 28 | 18 Jan 2009 | 1:07:47 | Neil Renault | 1:21:21 | Helen Waugh |
| 27 | 20 Jan 2008 | 1:05:22 | Tomas Abyu | 1:16:05 | Nicky Archer |
| 26 | 21 Jan 2007 | 1:04:56 | Tomas Abyu | 1:16:59 | Louise Gardner |
| 25 | 22 Jan 2006 | 1:05:58 | Andrew Norman | 1:14:31 | Debra Mason |
| 24 | 23 Jan 2005 | 1:07:27 | Michael Aspinall | 1:14:48 | Anna Pichrtova |
| 23 | 18 Jan 2004 | 1:10:29 | Simon Shiels | 1:14:22 | Tracey Morris |
| 22 | 19 Jan 2003 | 1:05:23 | Alastair O'Connor | 1:16:56 | Kate Burge |
| 21 | 20 Jan 2002 | 1:04:36 | Carl Warren | 1:13:08 | Marian Sutton |
| 20 | 2001 | 1:07:29 | Duncan Mason | 1:20:04 | Jackie Newton |
| 19 | 2000 | 1:05:47 | Duncan Mason | 1:17:03 | Angela Allen |
| 18 | 1999 | 1:07:16 | G Hill | 1:18:29 | J Newton |
| Course changed ||||||
| 17 | 1998 | 1:07:05 | Simon Shiels | 1:15:18 | Alison Wyeth |
| 16 | 19 Jan 1997 | 1:04:11 | Kevin McCluskey | 1:16:06 | Carolyn Hunter-Rowe |
| 15 | 21 Jan 1996 | 1:06:00 | Mark Kinch | 1:16:03 | Trudi Thomson |
| 14 | 22 Jan 1995 | 1:07:57 | D Mansbridge | 1:16:38 | K Cornwall |
| 13 | 1994 | 1:08:26 | T Morrey | 1:19:57 | D Hoogesteger |
| 12 | 24 Jan 1993 | 1:05:40 | D Swanston | 1:21:44 | A Whitelaw |
| 11 | 1992 | 1:05:21 | C Sweeney | 1:21:29 | L Clarke |
| 10 | 1991 | 1:06:03 | Tony O'Kell | 1:18:22 | K Cornwall |
| 9 | 1990 | 1:07:51 | B Gillespie | 1:22:55 | Janice Needham |
| 8 | 1989 | 1:05:13 | Tony O'Kell | 1:21:26 | M Henry |
| 7 | 1988 | 1:08:15 | Tony O'Kell | 1:19:59 | M Henry (née Burke) |
| 6 | 1987 | 1:05:58 | R Lindsay | 1:19:44 | M Burke |
| 5 | 1986 | 1:09:48 | C Potter | 1:23:35 | J Littler |
| 4 | 20 Jan 1985 | 1:09:22 | D Vernon | 1:20:53 | G Nicholson |
| 3 | 1984 | 1:06:10 | S Anders | 1:32:57 | V Gillespie |
| 2 | 1983 | 1:08:48 | Stan Curran | 1:23:56 | Susan Catterall |
| 1 | 1982 | 1:12:36 | Mark Edwards | 1:54:14 | V Malchin |