St Helens-Sutton Athletic Club was created in 1990 by a merger between Sutton Harriers and St Helens A.C. Sutton Harriers was formed in 1899 and within seven years had won the National Cross Country Championship. Immediately after the second world war they won the title four years out of five between 1947 and 1951. The club’s President, Billy McMinnis, is the last surviving member of that legendary team.

In 1979 Sutton won its sixth National cross-country title when the Under 13 girls’ team took the crown at Runcorn. Sue Clague and Lynn Webb, both members of that team, are now coaches at the club. During the 1970’s and early 1980’s Sutton had developed a strong track presence with the ladies team winning the Northern Track and Field League title and reaching the UK Qualifying match on four occasions. The men’s team also reached the first division of the Northern League.

By the early 1990’s the architects of those successes had left and, along with many other clubs, Sutton suffered a decline in membership. St Helens A C, which has been formed in the late 1970’s, had performed well in men’s road running but had failed to develop in other areas. Therefore, the two clubs decided to pool their resources in the interests of athletics in St Helens as a whole and form a single unit for all the town’s athletes.

In 1996 the club moved its base to Sutton Sports Centre, Eltonhead Road, where an all-weather track had been laid. It continues to operate from the track where it meets for club training nights on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6.30 p.m – 8.30p.m. 

The club has a number of Life Members, awarded for services to the club and, when appropriate, on achieving international standard in club (not schools') competition.

The current Life Members are Billy McMinnis; Ray Vose; Tony Raffle; John Irwin; Trevor Prescott, David Forrester; Dr Phil Thomas;