IT WAS a double race weekend for Andy Haines when he took to the hills for Radcliffe AC.

He contended with high winds and several river crossings in Sunday’s New Chew Mountain Marathon in Saddleworth.

A test of running and orienteering skills, he had to visit as many checkpoints as possible in 3.5 hours.

The weather was kinder when he finished 16th in Mr Sparkle’s Dark ‘un fell race on Valentine’s Day.

The five-mile night race, with 702ft of ascent from Tockholes in Darwen, featured stiff climbs, boggy moorland and a dash to the finish.

Storm Dennis hit the weekend’s racing fixtures leading to the cancellation of the Bolton 5k, the first fixture of the Central Lancashire Grand Prix which several members had entered. The final South East Lancashire Cross Country fixture was also postponed.

Deborah Cliff escaped the bad weather when she ran 32mins 30secs at Clermont Waterfront parkrun while on holiday in Florida, her 32nd different parkrun location.

Closer to home, Robert Short clocked 19:28 to finish third at Bolton parkrun while Paul Swyers ran 24:01; Kathryn Davies 30:02; Elaine Bailey 31:01 and Tracy Wroe 34:00. There was a good turnout at Heaton parkrun where Paul Barrington ran a personal best of 22:01; Mark Enright clocked 22:24; Sheila Jones was first Vet-60 in 24:02; Olivia Whittaker was first JW10 in 25:14; Nick Barnes 25:32; Alison Howarth 25:56; Katie Davies 31:15; Deborah Barrington 31:16; junior Megan Peterkin 32:36; Bev Quinton 33:56; Iain Harris 34:03 and Sharon Peterkin 35:22.

Sarah Oxley ran 32:31 at Pennington Flash parkrun, Craig Ward clocked 25:01 at Worsley Woods and Vince Ashton notched up his 91st parkrun location with a time of 29:40 at Rothay Park in Ambleside.