CHRIS Rooke followed in the footsteps of his brother Andrew by winning the second race in the Fenn Wright Suffolk Winter League, staged on a new course at Fritton Lake, near Beccles, on Sunday.

By Carl Marston

CHRIS Rooke followed in the footsteps of his brother Andrew by winning the second race in the Fenn Wright Suffolk Winter League, staged on a new course at Fritton Lake, near Beccles, on Sunday.

Andrew Rooke had won the first meeting at Framlingham, and this time it was his older brother Chris who led home a field of 190 around a one-lap course of 5.8 miles, across fields, through woodland and along paths near the picturesque lake.

However, there was a surprise in the team stakes as former league champions Saint Edmund Pacers, bolstered by the return of a couple of exiles, pipped Ipswich Harriers on the day by just 15 points.

The Harriers remain well clear in the overall team standings, after two of six meetings, with Stowmarket Striders also retaining their second spot.

The Pacers have clawed back some of the deficit in third place.

Regular winner David Miller is getting back to shape after his recent hip injury.

The Woodbridge Shuffler was 36 seconds behind Rooke in second, with Lowestoft Road Runners' Carl Prewer repeating his third position from Framlingham.

Elliot Palmer, another of the Harriers promising teenagers, also replicated his Framlingham result in fourth, while over-45 veteran David Reed led the Saint Edmund Pacers surge in fifth.

The Bury-based Pacers also benefited from the brief return of ex-chairman Peter Golding, who is currently based in Iraq. Golding was 11th.

Club-mate Will Barnes-Smith, who is now based with the Army in Aldershot, was another to make an appearance for the Pacers with a top 20 finish.

The league is once again proving very competitive this season. David Laing (Newmarket & Sudbury Joggers), Richard Moore (Waveney Valley) and Simon Brummitt (Stowmarket Striders) also led home their respective teams with top 10 placings.

Stowmarket were second in the final standings last season, behind the Harriers, and their ladies enjoyed a good day.

The Striders filled two of the top three places, thanks to a win for Natasha Belsom and third spot for in-form veteran Mary Narey. They sandwiched Bungay Black Dog's Lynn Emmett.

Experienced triathlete Tonya Antonis was fourth in the colours of Ipswich Harriers, followed by Newmarket/Sudbury team-mates Ursula White and Amanda Henry.

The third race is at Broome, near Bungay, on Sunday, November 18 (11am start).

Results from Fritton Lake

Top 40 men: 1 C Rooke (IH) 34.19; 2 D Miller (FS) 34.55; 3 C Prewer (LRR) 35.05; 4 E Palmer (IH) 35.16; 5 D Reed (SEP) 35.45; 6 D Laing (NSJ) 35.47; 7 R Moore (WV) 35.52; 8 G Thomas (IH) 35.59; 9 S Brummitt (SS) 36.20; 10 N Drane (FRR) 36.26.

11 P Golding (SEP) 37.02; 12 C Marston (SEP) 37.30; 13 R Cheverton (WV) 37.36; 14 S Gardiner (IH) 37.49; 15 L Heath (SEP) 37.59; 16 N Stephens (SS) 38.07; 17 P Preston (NSJ) 38.17; 18 N Palmer (SS) 38.22; 19 W Barnes-Smith (SEP) 38.32; 20 D Thorrington (INT) 38.36.

21 C Pimlott (WV) 38.46; 22 J Entwistle (IH) 38.51; 23 M Cobbold (SEP) 38.53; 24 C Starmer (SS) 38.58; 25 M Potter (WV) 39.01; 26 R Peacher (FS) 39.18; 27 M Ball (NSJ) 39.21; 28 S Lark (LRR) 39.24; 29 J Ling (IH) 39.35; 30 J Hook (WV) 39.43.

31 T Fox (SEP) 39.44; 32 N Minns (IH) 39.48; 33 K Martin-Smith (SS) 40.00; 34 D Gowen (WV) 40.26; 35 A Green (SS) 40.31; 36 D Sealy (IH) 40.33; 37 G Howe (TBH) 40.36; 38 K Macrossan (SS) 40.39; 39 D Palmer (IH) 40.44; 40 T Byford (IH) 40.53.

Top 30 ladies: 1 N Belsom (SS) 40.45; 2 L Emmett (BBD) 42.29; 3 M Narey (SS) 43.24; 4 T Antonis (IH) 43.39; 5 U White (NSJ) 43.40; 6 A Henry (NSJ) 43.59; 7 A Simpson (IH) 44.05; 8 P Rooney (FS) 44.38; 9 P Partridge (SEP) 44.57; 10 J Jepson (SEP) 45.42.

11 T Dennison (BTH) 46.04; 12 E Thorpe (INT) 46.40; 13 K Kemp (SS) 46.50; 14 M Burgess (NSJ) 47.06; 15 G Pryke (NSJ) 48.09; 16 S Golding (SEP) 48.50; 17 A Alstrachen (SEP) 49.15; 18 M Roberts (FS) 49.23; 19 L Potter (WV) 49.38; 20 V Manly (DIS) 49.41.

21 T Belsom (SS) 49.46; 22 E Calver (SEP) 49.56; 23 A Millett (WV) 50.01; 24 K Wigley (LRR) 51.13; 25 B Sauerzapf (BBD) 51.30; 26 E Mann (WV) 52.46; 27 N Hall (SS) 52.59; 28 S Baker (LRR) 53.21; 29 C Maycock (BBD) 53.26; 30 S Miller (INT) 54.07.

Men's teams: 1 IH 891pts; 2 SEP 885; 3 SS 828; 4 WV 827; 5 NSJ 716; 6 FS 703; 7 LRR 653; 8 BBD 626; 9 INT 572; 10 SS “B” 488; 11 SEP “B” 479; 12 TBH 443; 13 WV “B” 429; 14 FRR 412; 15 DIS 172; 16 SS “C” 57; 17 OP 12.

Ladies' teams: 1 SS 184; 2 NSJ 176; 3 SEP 166; 4= IH & TBH 145; 6 FS 134; 7 WV 133; 8 SS “B” 122; 9 LRR 115; 10 INT 111; 11 DIS 96; 12 SEP “B” 95; 13 SS “C” 85; 14 WV “B” 63; 15 TBH 56;

Combined teams: 1 SEP 1,051; 2 IH 1.036; 3 SS 1,012; 4 WV 960; 5 NSJ 892; 6 FS 837; 7 BBD 771; 8 LRR 768; 9 INT 683; 10 SS “B” 610; 11 SEP “B” 574; 12 TBH 499; 13 WV “B” 488; 14 FRR 412; 15 DIS 268; 16 SS “C” 142; 17 OP 12.

Overall team standings (after two of six meetings): 1 IH 2,365; 2 SS 2,197; 3 SEP 2,174; 4 WV 2,039; 5 NSJ 2,014; 6 FS 1,914; 7 LRR 1,586; 8 INT 1,538; 9 TBH 1,477; 10 BBD 1,424; 11 SS “B” 1,324; 12 SEP “B” 1,309; 13 FRR 1,161; 14 WV “B” 1.015; 15 WS 737; 16 DIS 532; 17 SS “C” 446; 18 OP 22.

KEY

IH - Ipswich Harriers; WS - West Suffolk AC; SS - Stowmarket Striders; WV - Waveney Valley AC; SEP - Saint Edmund Pacers; LRR - Lowestoft Road Runners; FS - Flying Shufflers (composite Framlingham Flyers & Woodbridge Shufflers); FRR - Felixstowe Road Runners; TBH Thetford & Brandon Fern Hoppers; NSJ - Newmarket Joggers & Sudbury Joggers; INT - Ipswich Triathlon Club & Newmarket Triathlon Club; BBD - Bungay Black Dog: DIS - Diss AC; OP - Orwell Panthers.