Race Day Success For 2,000 Runners In Port Sunlight

CITY OF LIVERPOOL, LIVERPOOL CITY REGION.

Port Sunlight Enjoys Race With 2,000 Participants

Race Day Success for 2,000 Runners in Port Sunlight (Credit: Paul Francis Cooper/Supplied/Image was provided to The Liverpudlian with permission to share, courtesy of the Publicist on behalf of their client. We make no claim to this content).

• Runners and spectators turn-out for the 12th staging of event.

• Race day organised and delivered by BTR Liverpool and Port Sunlight Village Trust.

• Headline sponsor Unilever for 10th consecutive year.

• New female 5K course record set.

• Entries open for next year – date set for 7 June 2026.

The 12th staging of Port Sunlight Road Race took place last weekend with almost 2,000 participants pulling on their running shoes.

The event on Sunday (8 June) featured two competitive races covering 5K and 10K distances, and a 1K Fun Run for youngsters aged 12 and under.

As well as the highest turn-out since the race returned after a two-year break over the pandemic, a new female 5K course record was set.

The date for next year’s event has been confirmed as Sunday 7 June 2026. Entries are open at BTR's events page.

Port Sunlight Road Race is organised and delivered by independent race organiser BTR Liverpool in conjunction with Port Sunlight Village Trust (PSVT).

First staged in 2012, Port Sunlight Road Race is well established in the region’s race calendar.

Last year’s race was the highest turn-out since the pandemic with 1,500 runners. However this now been surpassed once again, showcasing continuing growth and support for the event.

Unilever Port Sunlight supported the event as headline sponsor for the 10th consecutive year.

An impressive 120 runners from Unilever Port Sunlight took part across both races, including a team from the Sunlight Runners.

A total of 631 runners completed the 5K race.

Port Sunlight Road Race 5K 2025 was won by Alex Macilwee with a time of 16 minutes 18 seconds.

Second place was Max Done in 16 minutes 51 seconds. Richard Keep from Birmingham Running Athletics & Triathlon Club (BRAT) was third in 16 minutes 56 seconds.

The 5K race record remains in tact. It was set by Joseph Boden from Wallasey AC in 2019 with a time of 15 minutes 28 seconds.

First place female was Lisa Gawthorne from Vegan Runners UK in 18 minutes 8 seconds. She has set a new female 5K course record at Port Sunlight by just 5 seconds.

The previous record was set by Helen Sahgal from Liverpool Pembroke & Sefton Harriers in 2018 with a time of 18 minutes 13 seconds.

Second place was Jasmine Rogan from Warriors Pentathlon & Athletics Club in 19 minutes 48 seconds. Ellie Fielding from Mossley Hill AC took third place in 20 minutes 11 seconds.

The 10K race saw a total of 1,101 runners complete the race.

Port Sunlight Road Race 10K 2025 was won for the second consecutive year by Ben Taylor from Pensby Runners with a time of 31 minutes 57 seconds – an impressive 1 minute 27 seconds faster than last year.

Second place was Paul Howard from St Helens Striders in 32 minutes 18 seconds. Stephen Ferroni from Brighton & Hove AC was third in 32 minutes 39 seconds.

The 10K race record remains in tact. It was set by Dejene Gezimu from Liverpool Harriers in 2016 with a time of 30 minutes 19 seconds.

First place female in the 10K was Dearbhla Cox with a time of 37 minutes 7 seconds.

Second place was Nichola Cartwright in 39 minutes 17 seconds. Third place was Rachel Jacks from Southport Waterloo AC in 39 minutes 19 seconds. Rachel took second place last year – but this time round she beat last year’s time by 1 minute 12 seconds.

The female 10K record remains in tact. It was set in 2016 by Sophie Whiteside from Liverpool Harriers with a time of 36 minutes 42 seconds.

It was a return to the podium for Lisa Gawthorne and Dearbhla Cox, who took first and second place the BTR Liverpool Tunnel 10K in April.

The event’s official proceedings which included starting the races, handing out medals, and race winner prize presentations were conducted by Andrew Bowden, Chair Of Trustees at Port Sunlight Village Trust, and Cameron Jones, Head of Unilever Port Sunlight.

The day’s activities centred round Port Sunlight Village Green in the heart of the picturesque setting, next to Port Sunlight Museum. As well as soaking up the race day atmosphere, runners and spectators enjoyed refreshments from traders including Chows, Hyacinth Ice-Cream, Mule Kick Coffee, Parkgate Fish & Chips, and Piadina Pronto.

Port Sunlight Village Trust (PSVT) is an independent charity and custodian of Port Sunlight, an exemplar worker village created to support the wellbeing and productivity of the Lever Brothers soap works employees and their families. 

As custodian, PSVT works with important stakeholders to protect the heritage, ensure a great quality of life for people, and promote understanding of Port Sunlight’s global value and relevance. Runners can use their race number to enjoy discounts at Port Sunlight Museum, walking tours, and the museum gift shop until 1 August 2025.

Andrew Bowden, Chair of Trustees of Port Sunlight Village Trust, commented: “Port Sunlight Road Race is always a popular date in our growing events calendar. We enjoy welcoming visitors from across the region to see and experience the village from a completely different perspective.

“Our residents and village volunteers look forward it each year and their support is invaluable, especially everyone who comes out across the village on race morning to cheer on the runners. Port Sunlight is the perfect backdrop for a race with a difference. It was fantastic to see so many runners, families, and spectators enjoy their day. We look forward to welcoming you back soon.”

Port Sunlight is Unilever's historic UK home, created by one of the company founders William Lever to provide his Sunlight Soap factory workers with decent, affordable houses.

Unilever today continues to have world class manufacturing, research and development (R&D), and IT facilities based in Port Sunlight. Unilever’s brands – including Persil, Dove, Tresemme, Radox, Comfort and Surf – can be found in 98% of households in the UK.

Cameron Jones, Head of Unilever Port Sunlight, added: “Unilever is proud to be the Port Sunlight Road Race headline sponsor for the 10th consecutive year as part of our commitment to promoting health and wellbeing.

“Last year’s race was dubbed the best yet – but everyone did themselves proud and we surpassed it yet again. Congratulations to every runner, spectator, volunteer, and Port Sunlight residents – what an incredible destination to experience through a race. A special well done to 120 Unilever Sunlight Runners, you did yourselves very proud.”

The 5K route took runners along the tree-lined boulevards and perfectly manicured gardens of Port Sunlight village. The 10K followed two laps of the 5K route. Runners were presented with a commemorative medal and T-shirt after completing their races.

A group of 280 runners also took on the dual race challenge – completing the 5K race, quickly followed by the 10K. They collected two medals and T-shirts, along with a third bonus medal to celebrate their achievement.

Volunteer teams included Army Cadet Teams, Birkenhead Park Running Club, Port Sunlight volunteers, and members of the Merseyside running community.

The eight BTR Liverpool charity partners for the 2025 event portfolio were well represented by runners.

Throughout the year, BTR is encouraging its runners to support Alder Hey Children’s Charity; Claire House Children’s Hospice; Clatterbridge Cancer Charity; Liverpool Women’s Hospital Charity; Mersey Cares; North West Air Ambulance; Wirral University Teaching Hospital; and Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice Liverpool.

BTR Liverpool is the leading independent organisation for creating, managing, and delivering headline race events across Liverpool City Region. Its portfolio includes the BTR Liverpool Half Marathon, BTR Mersey Tunnel 10K, BTR Liverpool Santa Dash, and BTR Tour Of Merseyside.

Next in the BTR race portfolio is the 52-mile BTR Tour Of Merseyside starting on 29 June, which includes races at Thurstaston and New Brighton.

This is followed by the Women’s 5K & 10K Liverpool in Sefton Park on 14 September; BTR Wirral 10K on Sunday 12 October; and the world-famous Liverpool Santa Dash on 7 December.

Full details about BTR events can be found at www.btrliverpool.com