A PARAGLIDER ran, climbed and flew his way to back-to-back X-game championsips.

Daredevil Steve Nash, 46, of Sandy Lane, Helsby, defended his X-Scotia title in Scotland, running 65km and flying 21km, climbing three mountain summits in the process.

He said: “I am delighted with the result. I knew it would be a challenge, you run up, or walk up, the three mountains and then fly down them.”

Steve, a chartered engineer for Ineos Chlor, who is married to Shirley, has been flying for more than 10 years after training in North Wales.

“It’s like parachuting but instead of just going down you can move from place to place, descend and elevate,” he added.

“You can go a long way with a piece of fabric and some strings. You ride the thermals, like a bird glides.

“Part of the challenge of this event is carrying the parachute in your rucksack. I have to keep fit, I’m not a hell bent marathon runner or fell runner, I just run to keep myself fit for other sports.”

The NOVA team pilot defeated 30 other competitors to win his second X-Scotia title in a row, flying as high as 6,000ft.

After a close run race, he completed the event in a time of 13 hours and 41 minutes to win a week’s holiday at Les Basse Beaumettes in the South of France.

“The sport is growing, we are learning from what other countries are doing and adapting it,” said Steve.

“It is an extreme sport but the stats say it is safer than horse riding. It takes a lot of practice but I’m not allowed to fly around here because it is in Liverpool air space and I class as an aircraft!”