THE autumn and winter orienteering season started with strong showings by Lostock green vests at Hayfield in the Peak District and locally at Rivington.

Mark Checkley and Josie Greenhalgh headed to Hayfield and Kinder for the first round of the Peak Race orienteering series.

Competitors have three hours to accumulate points by navigating to control points, with some quickly deducted for missing the cut off.

In his first event, Checkley was placed 16th in his age category, while Greenhalgh, an established mountain marathon competitor, was fourth in the W40 age group.

Closer to home, Paul Speed had an age-group victory in the first of the South East Lancashire Orienteering Club (SELOC) series held at Rivington.

Speed completed the Long Orange 5.5k race in 55mins 46secs, finishing fourth overall.

Tony Marlow continued his strong return from injury with an age-group win and 17th place overall at the Cuerden Valley parkrun in a time of 22:59.

Paul O'Brien put in a similarly strong performance at Stockport's Woodbank parkrun to finish 11th overall and third in his age group with a time of 21:52.

Andy Laycock was fifth in his age group and 37th overall in a strong field at Bolton parkrun in a time of 23:38, while Helen Mather was also fifth in her age group at Haigh Hall in 29:14 and Alan Mather finished in 27:03.