Where did the idea of running the TPT come from?
I spent some time in the United Kingdom for work in 2019, and after the formalities finished in London, I made my way up to the North West and visited family in Warrington. I was on leave and decided to explore Warrington and the surrounding areas on foot during the mornings when my family was busy with their daily lives. On one such morning, I had no route in mind and just ran after my nose. I saw a neat little trail path heading into a forest detach itself from one of the main roads, and decided to follow it, not having any idea where it led. At that point in time, I’d never even heard of the TPT. A TPT virgin, as it were.
Suddenly, I went from dodging cars and traffic in Warrington to extreme peace and tranquillity. After a few quiet kilometres, I found myself in the next town, called Sankey / Sankey Bridges. Where I am from (South Africa), running to the next town is often a bit of a trek due to the distances involved, so I found it very refreshing to be able to run on an established and well-maintained footpath to the next town.
I saw the familiar blue signage “Trans Pennine Trail”, and that evening I asked Russell about it, and he explained in more detail about the TPT, and what it represents. How it connects the East and West coasts of the United Kingdom. How each part is maintained by the closest town. Suffice it to say, I was captivated by the idea of the TPT… It amazed me that there could be a trail, maintained by different towns and cities, and managed by people who seemed to be equally as enamoured as I was with this idea…. this ‘public asset’, without remuneration, as far as I could tell. I promised myself that upon my next trip to the UK, I’d run a bit more of the TPT.
Fast Forward to 2025
When conversations about a family trip to the UK started in 2024, I realised that that bucketlist idea of mine to one day run the entire TPT might just become a partial reality. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, running the entire 346km would not be possible. But what if I could run 46km of the 346km?
I started plotting and planning and scheming. This included:
- Starting a WhatsApp group with Russell and his two cousins, Antony Dean and Chris Dean. I’ve had some amazing times with both these guys in South Africa and England, and they are also into running, so it was an obvious first step. Lady Luck smiled in my direction, with Antony (based close by in Chester) training for the Ring’o’Fire race (https://www.ringofire.co.uk/) in Wales and needing the miles, and Chris (based in Newcastle) being in Chester for a wedding on the weekend I planned our run. Some good banter, and the spirits were high.
- Initially, I reached out to Jacqueline Fairclough, who works for the Active Transport Warrington team, and Jacqueline shared some very informative links, contacts, and also provided information on which sections of the TPT would be closed for resurfacing work and dates of closure. Excellent emails and details.
- Closer to the time, I contacted the TPT Office and spoke to Robert Drummond. I asked Robert about a GPX file to download, to help with wayfinding. Unfortunately, such a file was not yet available, but Robert was brilliant and put me in touch with the TPT social media community, and also referred me to the TPT interactive map. We had some good back-and-forth, and Robert was amazingly helpful and got me even more excited. Robert was also the person who pointed me in the direction of writing and sharing this blog for the official website.
I find that half the joy of a holiday is already to be found in the lead-up to the holiday, and the pre-thoughts you have of the holiday. That being said, I started with opening the TPT interactive map on my laptop, and then on Garmin Connect I manually plotted the route on the Garmin map on my phone, and then sent the GPX file to my Garmin. This was a time-consuming but interesting exercise, and indeed very satisfying to see the route coming together. I shared the file with the gents in WhatsApp group, and started counting the days to the run.
Build-up and TPT Run (summary)
Friday: Landed in Manchester and immediately after unpacking, went for a reconnaissance run from the house (Grappenhall area) to where I thought my route started to find and confirm the start point. I could not help myself, and had to start at Latchford Locks, purely because of the novelty of these Locks. We do not get them in South Africa.
- Saturday: Phoenix parkrun with the family (I have done the Warrington parkrun 3x), just to get the legs moving, and because I’m a parkrun geek.
- Sunday: TPT time!
On the day itself, the idea was to start at 8am, and we managed to get going a little later at 08h30. It was a glorious day: nice and chilly, with a hint of a breeze every now and then, but no serious wind, and thankfully no rain. Unfortunately, Antony had to decline (Mother’s Day in the UK pipped me at the post) and Chris’s wedding combination of being mildly hungover and the drive back to Newcastle with a toddler in the car didn’t help the TPT cause, since we’d be out for a good 5-6 hours.
Russell, always enthusiastic and eager, was, however, ready for the adventure, and we loaded his bicycle bags with goodies. Boost bars (again, don’t get these amazing instant diabetes inducing chocolates in South Africa), Lucozades, some bananas, energy jellies etc. In the photo of the start of the trip you can see a Lucozade strapped to the top of the cycle bag since the bag was full to the brim. (Note: I love travelling anywhere in the UK with Russell – because he is like a local, knowledgeable tour guide – and even more so around these parts of the world where he has worked in the past. And played a few cricket games.)
Although end March is Spring in the UK, it’s still a long way colder than a Cape Town Winter. Hence, me wearing a buff over my ears, an apple jacket, and resemble someone going on an Arctic expedition. However, after a few kilometres of running, the cold disappeared, and the magic kicked in.
The first few kilometers were spent getting from the house in Grappenhall to the Latchford Locks, and then making our way west next to the Manchester Shipping Canal. I enjoyed the familiarity of running the same route I ran previously in 2019, and also seeing the small changes since then.
The first goal was to get to Hale via Spike Island, under the new Mersey Gateway Bridge. The bridge below is not the new Mersey Gateway Bridge… that one is about 5 photos down. The Bridge below is from my 2019 trip.
What I enjoyed about this section of the run, was the change in scenery from Grappenhall (lovely residential area), into Warrington (slightly more industrial and commercial), then into nature and the long straight stretch next to the Manchester Shipping Canal with trees and singletrack, with the openness and odd powerstation, heading into Spike Island and surrounds which was more built-up. It was quite pleasant cutting back into some residential areas, and not just hugging the canal and Mersey River the entire time.
After the Spike Island section, the next goal was getting to the town of Hale. A small, pleasant town, very tidy and neat, with some cute houses and clean sidewalks. I loved seeing the British flags in the wind on more than one occasion. It’s patriotic and beautiful.
From Hale, we made our way past the John Lennon International Airport and Speke. A bit more suburbia, and not as scenic as the other parts of the route, but still the variety was great. Essentially, the suburban outskirts of Liverpool and some commercial areas. We bumped into a fellow runner who was training for the Manchester / Liverpool Ultra Marathon, which I believe is a 50-miler. Here, the wayfinding was a little challenging, since my Garmin was pulling in one direction, and Russell’s GPS in another, which was likely the effect of the circle route on the map below. This part of the trail could have been better indicated, especially since I could not rely on a live map.
We decided to follow Russell’s lead, since he knew the area, and he used to work in Gateacre, which was the next checkpoint before turning West again.
The section in Liverpool through Childwall, Allerton, and heading into Sefton Park was lovely. A couple of hills, but the scenery made it more than worth the effort. From a wayfinding point of view, the signage changed from the familiar Trans Pennine Blue signage to something a bit more cycling orientated.
And Sefton Park deserves a second mention as a real treat with people walking, playing, running, and just enjoying the sunny outdoors — injecting some new energy into my legs.
Source: JFM – ok — it’s not a traditional pint, but a cider – and I was after the sugar.
The last bit between Sefton Park and the coast was done at an easy pace compared to the first half of the day, just soaking it all in – and waiting for that moment when we spotted the River Mersey first. My idea was to touch the water of the Mersey, but the way the promenade was designed did not allow for this. Normally, I’d have tried to find a way, but after nearly 50kms, I was more than happy to plonk down for a pint at the finishing point.
Conclusion
As we grow older, I’m becoming more and more aware of not taking things in my life for granted. These include having the health and fitness to run nearly 50km. Having family that understands this running bug of mine, and that gives me the freedom to explore new places. And being able to travel halfway across the world to enjoy these bucket list experiences. But also, having people in my life who are willing to share these moments with me.
I still stand in awe at the idea of the Trans Pennine Trail, and since returning to South Africa, I’ve often wondered whether the idea can be replicated in my own country. Linking our East and West Coasts. I don’t think so for several reasons. Firstly, the distances are just too vast in South Africa for something like this. Secondly, safety might be an issue, depending on the area. But thirdly, you need people to care enough about this idea to hold hands across multiple counties and cities, and towns, to make this work. The formal emails and responses from people received before this adventure were formal yes, but also had enough thoughts, ideas and interest behind them to show me a humanbeing behind the email and even though I’ve not met these people personally, I believe they have a passion for what they do through their choice of words.
I am truly grateful for this experience, and will carry it with me in the memory bank until my running days are over, and beyond. 46km done, the other 300km await!
Johan Muller
https://theanchoredtraveller.wordpress.com/2025/05/01/the-trans-pennine-trail/
May 1st, 2025
