AN intrepid Malvern duo have just finished a successful season with podium finishes at the Trimax Nightmare 10k.

Nikki Hughes and David Green tackled the hilly, muddy race at Huntley, Gloucestershire, with the runners undeterred by the ghosts, ghouls and skeletons marking the route.

Hughes was in great form, flying around the two-lap course to come in as first woman and take second overall.

Green was a close third and claimed the first veteran prize.

It topped a season when Green recorded age-group wins at Pendock, the Dirt Run Five Star Series, Upton Triathlon, Phoenix Triathlon and Bredon Hardwick Triathlon.

Hughes, despite a campaign plagued by niggling injuries, achieved numerous top-five finishes in triathlons as far afield as Bournemouth, Perranporth and Upton.

She also managed top-10 places at several 10-kilometre running events.

The pair have just returned from Germany competing in ÖTILLÖ’s attritional international event featuring 22 miles of running through forest trails interspersed by five miles of swimming.

Just to make things a bit tougher it required swimming with trainers on and the running was done complete with wetsuits.

The pair finished in the middle of the field against the best racers from 28 countries.