THE annual Horwich Festival of Racing saw multiple age-group wins and podium finishes for Lostock AC runners.

In the Liverpool Castle trial race, the first of the three races of the Tour of Horwich series, there were age-group wins for Andy Ginty, Heather Soden and Matt Allen, with James Jackson and Beverley Atherton-McKenna finishing second in their respective age groups.

James Jackson was the first Lostocker home, and fifth overall, in a time of 18mins 9secs, followed by Andy Ginty (22:02), Heather Soden (23:04), Beverley Atherton-McKenna (23:12), Matt Allen (24:17) and Karen Taylor (25:01).

Jackson, Ginty and Taylor went on to complete the other two races in the series with Jackson finishing the Friday night fell race in 43:10 to secure second place in the age group, and further age-group wins for Ginty and Taylor, in 47:32 and 55:56 respectively.

In the final race, the Senior Road 5k road race around the closed streets of Horwich, Jackson came home in 19:49, Ginty in 23:11 and Taylor in 27:16.

Sandwiched in between the Festival of Racing events was the annual Two Lads fell race where there were further age-group wins, for Lostock AC’s Albert Sunter, Josie Greenhalgh and Michele Sunter.

In what was to be his third of four races that week, Jackson was the first Lostocker home over the tough Two Lads route in a time of 41:04, followed by Albert Sunter (42:17), Mark Shuttleworth (43:28), Chris Taylor (45:30), Josie Greenhalgh (48:50), Donna Kelsall (49:07) and Andy Laycock in 50:08.