PREPARATIONS for the annual Lostock 6 road race continued apace on Saturday when Lostock AC took over Haigh Woodland parkrun in Wigan.

The Lostock 6, which this year is scheduled to take place on February 23, is one of the longest-established road races in the North West, if not the UK.

Lostock members were out in force at Haigh to promote the event, both staffing the race and competing.

Stuart Hatton was the first Lostocker home and 13th overall in a time of 20mins 39secs, followed by Mark Shuttleworth (21:58), Chris Taylor (23:08), Martin Smith (26:34), Ian Burns (27:19), Mark Checkley (29:31) and Emma Hatton (31:56).

Saturday also saw the final running of the Marmot Dark Mountains marathon in the northern Arenigs area of Snowdonia.

Taking the classic two-day mountain marathon format and condensing it into one overnight race, the Marmot Dark Mountains has established itself as a classic of its kind, and is a challenge for the most experienced of fell runners and orienteers and will be sorely missed.

Competing as a team, Albert Sunter and Tony Marlow completed the 10-hour score event in 9:28:29, scoring 505 points out of a maximum of 1,000 and finishing sixth overall and second in their age group.

Closer to home, Sunter and Marlow were members of an 18-strong Lostock team that enjoyed multiple age-group success at the South Ribble Orienteering Club winter street league event in Westhoughton.

Racing the 75-minute score event Chris Taylor was third overall and Tony Marlow fourth.

Albert and Abigail Sunter finished as first mixed pair, with Alan Mather and Mark Shuttleworth second pair in age group, Mark Checkley third in age group, Donna Kelsall and Rachel Hunter first female pair and Alan Jones second in age group.

In the 60-minutes score race Stuart Hatton was first in age group, Paul O’Brien and Andy Laycock were the first male pair, Mike Ernill and Kerry Vardon third mixed pair and Ian Kennedy third in age group.

Race organiser Josie Greenhalgh and Stuart Hatton continued this strong form over to the Tandle Hill orienteering event in Oldham, with Greenhalgh finishing 15th overall, fourth woman and first age group, while Stuart Hatton was first in his age group.

Away from orienteering, Ian Taylor headed to Kirkstall in Leeds for the It’s Parky Up North marathon along the Leeds-Liverpool canal where he finished 10th in 4:13:18.