Just 154 runners completed the first Wesham 10K in 1986. Forty years later, the Lancashire road race has become one of the North West's longest established 10K events, with a reputation for quick times and a loyal following among club runners.

Saturday 28 November brings another chapter in that history, with the 2026 event carrying the name of Dave Waywell, the respected Wesham Road Runners athlete and former Blackpool fire station commander who died in May aged 82. Waywell was a familiar figure in local athletics for decades, and his own performances feature in the race's historical results, including a 35:32 finish in 1990.

The Wesham 10K has retained much of the character that made it popular in the first place. Organised by Wesham Road Runners, the race follows the rural lanes around Salwick and Lea Town, near Preston. The course is slightly undulating rather than completely flat, but has a well established reputation for fast running. In 2016, more than 100 of the 463 finishers recorded personal bests.

There is plenty of history at the sharp end too. The organiser lists Jonathan Prowse's 30:56 and Helen Clitheroe's 33:58 as the men's and women's course records. Clitheroe's performance came in 2003, when she finished third overall.

Demand has become another feature of the November race, with organisers reporting that it has sold out weeks before race day every year since 2016. Entries are being advertised for the 2026 event, and runners considering a place are encouraged to enter early.

Forty years after those first 154 finishers, Wesham remains a fine example of traditional club road racing. This November's event also provides an opportunity to remember a runner whose connection with the local athletics community stretched across generations.

Entries are available now via the runABC race hub.

Image courtesy Wesham Road Runners.