THE first of the four-race Kong Mini Mountain Marathon series kicked off in Aber in the Carneddau area of Snowdonia on Sunday with a second-place age-group finish for Lostock AC’s Josie Greenhalgh and her partner Paul Taylor.

The Kong Mini Mountain Marathon series condenses the classic mountain marathon format into four hours where competitors accumulate points by visiting as many control points as possible, and with points deducted for every minute they exceed the four-hour limit.

The conditions were fairly benign for early February with fog and wind but no rain, and the Lostock couple, pictured, finished second mixed pair in age group, having accumulated 389 points from 12 visits to control points. Greenhalgh will looking to emulate, if not better, that score in the second race of the series that takes place in the Lake District in April.

Closer to home, Albert Sunter and Tony Marlow headed to Didsbury for the latest race in the Manchester and District Orienteering Club winter street league.

In an experienced, high-quality field of 64, Sunter finished 18th with 1,400 points in his allotted 75 minutes with Marlow coming in 23rd with 1,350.

Results: Bolton Parkrun – Rachel Hancock 26:34, Haigh Woodland Parkrun – Andy Laycock 25:24, Ian Burns 27:36, Matt Allen 30:26, Worsley Woods Parkrun – Ian Taylor 21:09, Mark Shuttleworth 21:48.