MELONIE Crompton led six Lostock women home in the second round of the South East Lancashire Cross Country League at Oldham’s Tandle Hill.

Racing against some of the strongest runners in the North West, Crompton continued to show strong form since the birth of her young son in a time of 35:57.

She was eighth in her age group and just over a minute ahead of club-mate Heather Soden who finished in 37:01 and third in her age group.

Karen Taylor was seventh in her age group in 41:00, as was Cathy Stratton in 42:44.

Kath Johnson finished sixth in her age group in 51:07, while Kate Rotherham finished the hilly, muddy course in 51:23.

James Jackson was the first Lostock man home in 53:40, followed by Chris Taylor (62:30), Andy Laycock (63:59), Pete Noble (65:11) and ninth in his age group, and Ian Burns in 75:19.

Fell runners Albert Sunter, Tony Marlow and Josie Greenhalgh headed to the English Lake District for the annual Tour de Helvellyn.

Starting and finishing in the picturesque village of Askam, the 38-mile race, which comprises more than 2,000ft of elevation, circumvents Helvellyn via Grisedale Tarn and Patterdale and returns to Askham via Boardale Hauser and Martindale Church.

An already tough race was made even more arduous by the heavy snow that had fallen and vindicated the race organisers’ rules of only allowing entries from experienced fell runners and mountain marathon competitors.

Drawing on all their fell and ultra marathon experience, Sunter finished in 8:6:00, with Marlow and Greenhalgh clocking 8:30:00.

On a lighter, non competitive note, Lostock AC marked the beginning of the Christmas period the day after the cross country and Tour de Helvellyn with their annual mince pie run – a social, club-wide, run from Rivington Barn to Rivington Pike then Two Lads.