A TRIO of Lostock AC members were happy with their displays after making the trip to Langdale in the Lakes to compete in the iconic Old County Tops fell race.

In the event, runners have to run as a pair and Adrian Hope and Samantha Sale ran as one, while Josie Greenhalgh ran with stand-in Matt Appleton, as team-mate Tony Marlow could not start due to injury.

It is a race of 37 miles and more than 11,000 feet of climbing which starts in in Great Langdale and takes runners through Grasmere and up on to the top of Helvellyn. From there it’s a fast descent down to Wythburn and then the trek over and up Greenup Edge where Greenhalgh and Appleton passed Sale and Hope.

After some good running terrain, all Lostocker’s arrived at Angle Tarn well within the cut-off time. It was just before here that Hope started with cramp but decided to carry on and not retire.

Next was the ascent up to Scafell Pike and the Lostockers made it safely down and to Cockley Beck checkpoint well inside the cut-off time.

The final leg of the race starts with a relentless climb up Grey Friars then a long out-and-back to the Old Man of Coniston.

The cloud was down and the wind was picking up and Hope was struggling to descend by now with excruciating cramp in both legs, so it was not so easy getting off the hill. But when they did, they were homeward bound and on the run back to Langdale.

Greenhalgh and Appleton were first home and got a great welcome back. Sale and Hope followed some time later but were pleased to have finished - even more so as it was Sale’s first time running the race where getting the finishers T-shirt is huge kudos.