A KENDAL-based fell running club founded a quarter of a century ago has grown to become one of the most successful in the country.

Helm Hill Runners was established in the summer of 1990 by Ken Shuttleworth and Billy Procter to teach juniors the skills needed for racing up and down fells.

Yesterday, 25 years on from the first training session, many of the club's 270 members met on The Helm to celebrate the anniversary.

Across five age groups, runners of all abilities battled it out in a series of races organised by the British Open Fell Runners Association.

Competing against runners from across the north of England, the green vests of Helm Hill packed out the front end of each junior race. 

This was followed by a victory for 27-year-old Mark Addison, who has trained under the tutelage of Helm Hill's qualified coaches for over a decade, in the senior's race.

Afterwards, members past and present gathered on the lawns of the Station Inn pub to further celebrate Helm Hill's first 25 years and reminisce in the many success stories. 

Life president and club co-founder Billy Procter said: "The club has come so far in its first 25 years. I remember the first training session when there was just me, Ken and our three respective children. Now the club boasts 270 members, of which 100 are juniors. We also remain a real family club, with many parents joining their children partaking in training sessions and competing in races.

“As we did 25 years ago, we still train every Wednesday on The Helm. It may only be 185m high, but with its slopes varying in terms of both gradient and underfoot terrain, it’s the perfect training ground for teaching juniors the skills of fell running. In the winter we meet at Kirkbie Kendal School, with some groups training under head torches on Kendal Castle and others running on the roads.

“Across all age groups our members have achieved phenomenal success, with several winning international vests in fell, mountain and trail running.

“As both individuals and teams we’ve also won many national titles, the most high-profile being Tom Addison who, having developed all the way through our junior ranks, was last year crowned the men’s English Fell Running Champion. The achievements of Tom and many of our other runners continue to inspire our youngest members, which is fantastic to see.”

Helm Hill Runners’ chairman Tim Murray added: “The growth of the club, especially in recent years, has led us to recruit and develop more coaches. Five years ago we had just one or two qualified coaches. Now we have 16.

“As a club we also organize the Kendal Winter League, a hugely-popular series of 12 races which attract over 700 runners each year. It takes a massive team effort to stage the series, but it’s worth all the hard work as it provides so many beginners of all ages with their first taste of fell running.

“With the continued dedication of members, coaches, parents, supporters and the committee, Helm Hill Runners is looking forward to an exciting future and hopefully another success-packed 25 years.”

For more information on Helm Hill Runners visit www.helmhill.co.uk or email info@helmhill.co.uk