The Suffolk Winter League boasts a new venue this Sunday, with a cross country league race to be staged at Pakenham for the very first time.

East Anglian Daily Times: Maddie Jordan-Lee, pictured here winning the ladies' race at the Stowmarket Scenic Seven, was second at the most recent Suffolk Winter League cross country. Picture: ANDREW SARGENTMaddie Jordan-Lee, pictured here winning the ladies' race at the Stowmarket Scenic Seven, was second at the most recent Suffolk Winter League cross country. Picture: ANDREW SARGENT (Image: Archant)

After many years of hosting an event at Nowton Park, on the edge of Bury St Edmunds, local club Saint Edmund Pacers, the defending league champions, have switched venues to Pakenham.

Held from Nether Hall, there will be a junior race at 10.45am (one lap, 3K), followed immediately by an under-11s event and then the main senior race at 11.15am, over two laps amounting to approximately 8K.

Meanwhile, the Pacers remain in pole position to retain their league title, taking a lead of 328 points into this fourth race of six.

At the third event, hosted by Stowmarket Striders at Haughley Park last month, there was an individual win for James Pettersson, of Ipswich Harriers.

Teenager Pettersson, who had also won the first race at Framlingham, led home a field of 400 runners in 30mins 57secs.

Pacers' Tom Henson (31:38) and Waveney Valley AC's Dominic Oliver (32:08) were second and third respectively, followed by the Bungay Black Dog duo of Harry Allcock (32:14) and David Sparshott (32:15). Henson had been a runner-up to Seb Anthony at the second race, hosted by Woodbridge Shufflers at Sutton, while Oliver had been second to Pettersson at Framlingham.

James Smith, of the composite Sudbury Joggers and Newmarket Joggers, was sixth overall and the leading veteran in 32:56, ahead of Pacers' Andrew Southwood, who was seventh and second veteran in 33:04. Pacers' club-mate Kevin Murphy was the top over-45 in ninth, and Newmarket's Paul Holley the leading over-50.

In the female race at Haughley Park, over-45 veteran Jo Andrews, of Bungay Black Dog, was first home in 35:24. It completed a hat-trick of wins for Andrews, following her first places at Framlingham and Sutton.

Stowmarket Striders' twin sisters Maddie and Millie Jordan-Lee were second and fourth respectively, in 36:35 and 37:47, sandwiching Haverhill RC's Anne O'Hare (third in 32:27). Jessie Gooderham led the Pacers' charge in fifth place.

In fact, the top five was the same as at the previous race.

In the combined team stakes, Pacers lead the way with 10,228 points, ahead of Framlingham Flyers in second (9,900) and Stowmarket in third (9,810). Lowestoft RR are fourth (9,799) and Felixstowe RR fifth (9,236).