Thetford athletes found themselves in the middle of a winter wonderland on the Haughley Park estate near Stowmarket during a recent cross-country race.

That is where the latest round of the Suffolk Winter Cross-Country League took place. This was the third in a five-race series and took place over a course scattered with coverings of snow left in the shade after the previous week’s falls.

After the third race of the series several Thetford athletes across different age groups remain in contention for a series medal.

Victory in the V35 age category for Sabine Schaefer with a time of 40:27 was her second race win of the series and sees her top of the tree in her age group with two races left.

Aiden Try’s fourth place finish in the Under-15 age group with a time of 11:47 when combined with results from the previous two races, leaves him lying in third position overall.

Sandra Bower’s fourth place finish in the V50 category comes on the back of a first and second place finish in the two previous league meetings, leaving her in second place overall. Bower completed the course in 43:18.

Joe Smythe raced to seventh place in the U15s age group with a time of 12:23. Meanwhile, in the U13 boy’s category, Ben Garrod finished in sixth place with a time of 14:03 followed by Tyler Howard who came home in 17th position running a time of 14:47. Abigail Clouston was the first U13 girl to cross the line with a time of 15:06 seeing her claim 12th position.

Simon Smith was the first senior athlete from Thetford to complete the course with a time of 38:12 seeing him finish in 16th place in the V40 category. Simon won the battle of the Smiths with wife, Charlotte, finishing in a highly creditable third place in the V35 category with a time of 43:54.

Tina Plumley finished fifth in the V40 category with a time of 44:44 whilst Steph Clouston was three places further back in a time of 48:25. Wendy Howard completed the course in a time of 62:35 for 22nd place in the V40 category whilst Ann Kirton’s 62:40 was good enough for 15th position in the V45 category.

Elsewhere, James Peck was the sole Thetford AC athlete to compete in the Suffolk County Cross-Country Championships. Competing in the U13 category, Peck finished in 21st place with a time of 13:37.