LOSTOCK AC's James Jackson capped a strong 2018 season with a deserved win in the first of the three-race Mad Bull Torch Challenge nighttime trail series.

The five-mile circuit, that circumnavigates the trails around Rivington Hall Barn and Giant House Barn, is familiar to Jackson and the other Lostock runners – Paul O'Brien, Matt Withers and Cathy Stratton – but at nighttime the trails become more treacherous and pose a different kind of technical running challenge.

However, such matters were of little concern to Jackson who won with a time of 35mins 41secs.

Paul O'Brien finished ninth in a time of 41:45, while Matt Withers just finished outside the top 10 in 42:45.

Cathy Stratton finished 20th overall and second woman in a time of 45:05. 

Lostock AC's orienteers also had a successful night at the second of South Ribble Orienteering Club's winter league event at St Anne's.

Josie Greenhalgh and her partner finished fourth overall and first mixed couple, while Tony Marlow was fifth and Albert and Abigail Sunter were 12th overall and second-placed mixed couple.