This is a text-only version of an article first published on Monday, 18 April 2016. Information shown on this page may no longer be current.
by Vernon OrrALTHOUGH many can't get to church with the road closures and many churches cancel their services, lots of Reading churches took to the streets to cheer on and serve the runners and the crowds at the annual half marathon in April. This year more than 5,000 drinks were given out and the churches ran out of both water and cups.
Some runners even had a drink of Prosecco to fuel them around the course.
The first drinks station on the course is at John Madejski Academy in Hartland Road where St Agnes Church offered water and Prosecco.
Tim Munday and the St Agnes music group were belting out live contemporary Christian worship music. On the Shinfield Road, by the Sportsman pub, St Barnabas Church belted out music and encouragement from their boombox at their drinks station.
Christians chatted to BBC Radio Berkshire live on their Sunday morning faith show and in London Street, Reading, the Family Church has a Big PA system with Pastor Scott Taylor on the decks blasting out loud music and cheering on the runners who say that with fewer spectators at this point, they appreciate the encouragement. All Nations Church was on its own patch on patch Berkeley Avenue and Senior Pastor Billy Fenning says they always have a big crowd there and the atmosphere is electric Lifespring Church, now in the Pavilion in Oxford Road are also on the oute and they had a huge banner on the side of their building with words from the Bible