Andrew Rooke scorched to a personal best time on his way to victory at the 35th staging of the Framlingham Flyers 10K road race, held from the Market Hill on Sunday.

East Anglian Daily Times: Adam Howlett, who was fourth overall and the first veteran at the Framlingham 10K. Picture: HUNTER PHOTOGRAPHYAdam Howlett, who was fourth overall and the first veteran at the Framlingham 10K. Picture: HUNTER PHOTOGRAPHY (Image: Archant)

An in-form Rooke, a member of host club Framlingham Flyers, followed up his win at the Framlingham Friday Five from earlier in the summer by leading home a field of 338 around a two-and-a-half lap course.

Rooke stopped the clock at 31mins 40secs, finishing 65 seconds ahead of runner-up James Petterson, an under-20 athlete from Ipswich Harriers (32:45).

Fellow under-20 athlete Callum Bowen-Jones, of Dereham Runners, took third place in 34:28, followed by leading veteran Adam Howlett, who was fourth in 35:22.

The Flyers had three runners in the top 10, second veteran Jim Last (35:35) joining Rooke and Howlett in the successful local trio.

East Anglian Daily Times: Andrew Rooke, who set a personal best time on his way to victory at the Framlingham Flyers 10K. Picture: JAMES AGERAndrew Rooke, who set a personal best time on his way to victory at the Framlingham Flyers 10K. Picture: JAMES AGER (Image: James Ager)

This was the third time that Rooke had won the Framlingham 10K title, following his previous successes of 2016 (33:17) and 2017 (33:09). He had represented Aldershot, Farnham & District in 2016, and Ipswich JAFFA two years ago.

Rooke sliced 12 seconds off his previous 10K personal best, which had been set on his way to victory at last year's Woodbridge 10K, when he had posted 31:52.

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"I'm in preparation for a couple of half-marathons, so I have been getting in the volume of miles in training, while not worrying too much about the speed," explained Ipswich-based Rooke, who was a little adrift of the course record set by John Millar last year (30:58).

"I'm working with Steve Hicks at Ipswich Harriers on the coaching side, which has helped me, and the runner-up James Pettersson is part of that group. He's only aged 17.

"I got ahead from the start and stayed away. I didn't really look back," added 29-year-old Rooke, who plans to compete the Great East Run in Ipswich later this month, and then the Peterborough Half-Marathon in October.

The ladies' title went to Alice Heather-Hayes, of Hadleigh Hares. The over-40 veteran ran well to register a winning time of 39:40, finishing in 31st spot overall. She was second at the Kirton Friday Five in May, and fifth at last year's Framlingham 10K. Eli Barnbrook was second (40:34).

Results

Results from last Sunday's Framlingham 10K road race:

Top 30 men: 1 A Rooke (Framlingham Flyers) 31:40; 2 J Pettersson (Ipswich Harriers) 32:45; 3 C Bowen-Jones (Dereham Runners) 34:28; 4 A Howlett (Fram/Flyers) 35:22; 5 S Burdett (Stowmarket Striders) 35:29; 6 J Last (Fram/Flyers) 35:35; 7 F Adams (Ips/Harr) 35:59; 8 C Baker (Unattached) 36:06; 9 R Brown (Un) 36:23; 10 M Hayward (Newmarket Joggers) 36:32.

11 O Watson (Ipswich JAFFA) 36:32; 12 L Barber (Fram/Flyers) 36:36; 13 G White (JAFFA) 37:06; 14 B Jacobs (Felixstowe RR) 37:25; 15 S Williams (Stow/Strid) 37:33; 16 W Campbell (JAFFA) 37:37; 17 M Ford-Thomas (Saxmundham Sports) 37:56; 18 K Peirce (Ips/Harr) 38:06; 19 G Taylor (Felixstowe) 38:15; 20 A Belsom (Un) 38:22.

21 P Bulacz (Sudbury Joggers) 38:27; 22 D Solomon (Felixstowe) 38:39; 23 D Sheppard (Fram/Flyers) 38:50; 24 S Brooke (Felixstowe) 38:49; 25 M Hayden (Fram/Flyers) 38:53; 26 J Cornish (Woodbridge Shufflers) 39:00; 27 N Hammond (Fram/Flyers) 39:03; 28 B Churchman (Diss) 39:06; 29 S Harris (Newmarket) 39:23; 30 J Adams (Un) 39:27.

Male veterans, over-40: 1 Howlett, 2 Last. Over-50: 1 Brown, 2 Campbell. Over-60: 1 B Kingaby (Waveney Valley) 47:14.Over-70: 1 R McCullough (JAFFA) 44:50.

Leading ladies: 1 A Heather-Hayes (Hadleigh) 39:40; 2 E Barnbrook (New Marske Harriers) 40:34; 3 C Caiger (Un) 40:57; 4 E Wix (Woodbridge) 43:08; 5 O Johnson (Un) 43:34; 6 H Taylor (Felixstowe) 45:10; 7 G Leathers (Saint Edmund Pacers) 45:47; 8 H Emmens (Airborne Fitness) 45:53; 9 R O'Neill (Un) 45:50; 10 K Gladwell (Fram/Flyers) 46:04; 11 S Kingston (Un) 47:07; 12 F Kindred-Kirk (Fram/Flyers) 47:16; 13 J Bilner (JAFFA) 47:25; 14 J Elmer (Un) 47:31; 15 K Churchyard (Airborne Fitness) 47:33.

Female veterans, over-40: 1 Heather-Hayes. Over-50: 1 Leathers; 2 M Narey (Stow/Strid) 47:36. Over-60: 1 A Parkinson (Fram/Flyers) 57:49. Over-70: 1 M Wright (JAFFA) 64:18.