It wasn’t so much a tango in the night but more an epic slog in the dark for Anna Buckingham at the Marmot Dark Mountains run.

Herts Advertiser: St Albans Striders' Megan Steer at the Southern Cross Country Championships.St Albans Striders' Megan Steer at the Southern Cross Country Championships. (Image: Archant)

The orienteering mountain marathon in the Forest of Bowland, Lancashire, takes place over night and the St Albans Strider completed the punishing course armed with only a map as other GPS devices were banned.

Mud and rain was the problem for the eight Striders that travelled to Brighton for the Southern Cross Country Championships.

Megan Steer was the highest placed from the club in the women’s race, coming 64th while Mike Martin led home the male contingent in the men’s race.

James King and David Jackson also had to tackle mud in the off-road Hadleigh Legacy 10k. Jackson managed to come home 18th in the over 50 category.

Herts Advertiser: St Albans Striders' Paul Durbin at the Southern Cross Country Championships.St Albans Striders' Paul Durbin at the Southern Cross Country Championships. (Image: Archant)

And Shusanah Pillinger took fifth in FV40 group at the Gransden Muddy Fund Run half marathon near Cambridge.