Week Ending - 2023/05/07

BADGERS ON TOP AT THE BATTLE OF BOSWORTH

The Bosworth Half Marathon was the 3rd instalment of this year's Leicester Road Race League and once again Badgers were out in force with nearly forty members representing their club on this undulating course around the Leicestershire countryside. As seems to be the norm for this event, weather conditions, or more specifically the temperatures, had a major impact the longer the event went on seeing many runners struggling with heat and humidity. From the off Badger Matt Scarsbrook lead the way and never looked back storming away from the field to come home in a quite brilliant 70:16 nearly 5 minutes ahead of anyone else. Team-mate Dave Hill continued his recent fine form to make the podium in 3rd place (75:48) and with teammates Danny Warren 78:47 (9th) and Ryan Preece 79:07 (12th) Badgers took 1st place in the team competition as well.

Next home and 2nd V45 was club stalwart Chris Horton, his fastest Bosworth Half on his 8th attempt with a time of 80:49, good enough for 17th place in a field of over 700 runners. Chris Tweed 87:09 and Mark Repton 89:42 both ducked under the ninety minutes. Cameron Barnes may have to rethink his retirement plans as his 90:34 time was a pb by almost 9 minutes and along with Carl Savage 91:55 and Sam Starkey 94:42 made the top 100.

Colin Lees 1:47:06, Matt Green 1:47:31 and Wayne Repton 1:51:14 were next home followed by leading lady Megan Griffiths in 1:52:39. 

Club legends past and present Martyn Barrett and Rob Crow came home together in 1:53:40 having spent the race catching up and putting the world to rights to get each other home. 2nd lady Liberty Underhill 1:55:51, Lee Talbot 1:55:56 and Mick Bailey 1:57:33 all ducking under 2hrs with Mick managing a club V70 half marathon record.

Beth Woodward, Jill Miller, who followed on from her parkrun pb 25:43 with a half marathon, pb 2:03:20, and Rachael Shelton all broke 2rs 10mins, followed closely by Karen Thompson, David Earp, Adam McElhone and Hannah Coogan. Jo Davies, Debbie Bremner, Mandy Stain, Peter Mann, Rebecca Austin, Averil Caton, Sarah Vine and Paul Cooper all completed in under 2 1/2 hours followed closely by Eileen McElhone, Janet Crumpton, Clare Whetton and Sarah O'Donoghue. A great club effort by those running as well as those supporting and marshalling out on the course.

Away from league races 19,000 people took part in the Great Birmingham Run and 10K, including several Badgers with Dave Purvis 1:51:34 and Holly and  Andy Smith 2:21:08 completing the half marathon distance and Fritz De Gracia Napatal 1:09:37 the 10k for a new pb.

Market Drayton 10K was the destination for Badgers David Craig 49:03, as well as mother and daughter combo Anna & Maggi Savin-Baden with Anna managing 60:51 and mom 61:14 for silver+ club standard time.