Week Ending - 2023/09/03
MATT LEADS HIS TEAM TO LEAGUE GLORY IN THE ROTHERBY 8 RACE
The final race of the 2023 Leicestershire Road Running League season took place on Sunday at the Rotherby 8-mile event near Melton Mowbray and Matt Scarsbrook produced a running masterclass to win the race outright and in doing so, helped to lead his team to a fourth successive league title.
The Baddesley man made his intentions clear from the start on a very up-and-down course in warm conditions and as usual this season, the race soon became a duel between him and Roadhoggs flying machine Mo Hussein. With the lead changing hands throughout the race, it was Scarsbrook who eventually opened up a lead with a couple of miles to go, a lead that he refused to relinquish, storming to his fourth race win of the nine-race campaign in a time of 41:07, twenty seconds clear of overall series winner Hussein. For the second year running, Badgers had two-thirds of the podium sewn up when in-form Dave Hill crossed the line in a clear third with his PB time of 43:33. It was the only Diamond standard time achieved in the race by a Badger, and only Scarsbrook’s Platinum level was higher.
The Badgers men went into the final race trailing title rivals OWLS but knowing that a team win on the day would secure them a superb fourth title as Division One champions, not a bad achievement for a club that only joined the league in 2014 and have never not won Division One as long as they have been in it. With Scarsbrook and Hill back so soon, it was a near-perfect start. Ryan Preece was third home in a terrific 46:27. The Atherstone man has been a mainstay of the side this season and his run here was gutsy if not to say brave too. It capped a quality season for him and put him in the top ten runners overall across the league this year, a fine accomplishment when you consider the quality of athlete now on show. Danny Warren followed him over the line in 47:12. Twelve months earlier, it was Warren who scored the deciding points to give his club the title at the same race in an identical shoot-out situation, bouncing back to form after an indifferent year. This season he has been exceptional throughout, the only runner to have scored in all nine of the scheduled races as well as carrying out much of the captaincy role on race day.
Two places and sixteen seconds behind him came Neil Russell with a marvellous run in 19th position. He firmly established himself as a key man several seasons ago and never ceases to produce quality performances, which serves only to enhance his standing as one of the club’s most talented athletes. The veteran ace has shown no sign of slowing down this year and gave another display of what the club misses when he is unavailable. New signing Luke Neal rounded up the scoring six with a high-class run in 31st place. In only his second race for the club, he measured his effort beautifully, finishing strongly in 49:47. Returning veteran Chris Horton followed home 12 seconds later in 49:59 to lead the already crowned champions B-team back. This was his first time featuring in the B-team, an impressive nine-year, 66-race run coming to an end.
One of the revelations of the season, Chris Tweed, made the top fifty with a spirited effort of 51:35, his third course best in as many years. With OWLS fifth and sixth scorers finishing behind Tweed, the title was once again winging its way to North Warwickshire, in a season with many twists and turns along the way. The margin of victory could barely have been closer, with Badgers amassing 148 points across the course of the season to OWLS 147.5. Former performance director Dave Jackson and key man Glyn Broadhurst, both out injured for almost all of the season were there on bicycles to cheer their teammates on, making the day all the more special.
Form horse Ashley ‘T-Dogg’ Taylor finished 61st male with a personal best time of 53:20, capping a fine season from the self-proclaimed “Wonder of Warton”. The experienced Matt Green weighed in with yet another amazing performance, a personal best time of 56:58 despite being in his late 40s. His effort rounded up a solid morning’s work for a rejuvenated men’s vet team.
Dave Jenkinson ran 22 seconds under the hour mark to help himself to yet another personal best. The last twelve months have seen the Atherstone dad go from strength to strength, beating the likes of multi-sport legend Jimmy Dewis (60:17) and Shrove Tuesday Ball Game hero Colin Lees (62:12) in the process.
When it comes to the 8-mile distance in the V50 category at Badgers, Rob Crow is simply untouchable, a veritable goliath of the discipline. The current club record holder will move to the V60 age group next month with his stellar achievement of being the only person in the history of the club ever to hold the V50 8-mile club record intact. He ran a battling 65:53 here as would-be contenders questioned what exactly they must do to eclipse his epic best. Wayne Repton was next back in 67:14 with newcomer James Preece, father of the mighty Ryan showing his capabilities with a quality run of 67:36. Andy Altoft, V60 club record holder Peter Mann and Jamie Lawrence all crossed the line ahead of Paul Cooper who bagged himself a personal best in 76:04 alongside Dave Purvis. Matt Smith needed some medical attention post-race after his battling run while Martin Graham race-walked his way round thanks to a back problem and Beginner Badgers star Rick Reilly showed just what can be achieved with some hard work and dedication by making the leap to representing the club at a league event, now covering a distance almost three times further than that on the Beginner’s graduation run, a phenomenal leap forwards. A special mention for Tom Garland too, who had to withdraw mid-race after feeling unwell. Garland was a pivotal figure in the team that re-galvanised Badgers’ title hopes in the penultimate league race at Huncote last month.
The ladies’ team had less to play for with their place in Division Two already guaranteed for 2024. That did not stop a host of high-calibre individual performances from taking place, not least from as rising star Liberty Underhill once again led the way in 16th place overall with a PB time of 58:29. Suzy Farrell had a great ride in 63:38 to be second Badger back and first veteran as well as finishing 6th in her age group, the highest of all female Badgers on the day. Beth Woodward showed her promise in 66:03, exhibiting another strong finish before Megan Griffiths rounded off an excellent first full season in 67:14, a good effort in unfavourable conditions for her. Jane Barrett ran well in 64th place, still buzzing from her parkrun first place the day beforehand. Her time of 68:40 was good enough for a Bronze county standard, an achievement not bettered in the race, only matched by Underhill, Farrell, and Judy Parkes.
Fellow veteran Jill Miller clocked a super 72:05 before Hannah Mayes was pressed into full sprint mode, narrowly edging out a Desford Striders athlete in a thrilling climax. Mayes is another who has made a hugely positive impression on this year’s ladies’ team which has undergone a resurgence in form since the league opener at Stilton back in February.
There aren’t many in the club that command as much love and respect as Judy Parkes. Here she ran a quality 77:51, a great effort yet again from another product of the club’s highly successful Beginner’s scheme. Following her home in now, some fierce September sun was Joanne Crow and the hardworking Clare Whetton. Another Beginner making the leap to the senior race team was Grace Barsby who showed good composure as she completed the eight-mile circuit alongside Janet Crumpton in 89:14. There was still more to come however as Karen Draper and Sarah O’Donoghue both dug deep in 92 minutes before Ivana Babicova helped Kate Rathbone complete the final PB of the day as she crossed the line in 1:44:53.
Aside from this action, Mark Cox was taking part in the arduous 100K CCC by UTMB ultra trail event in the Alps. Starting in Italy, the international race moves through Switzerland before finishing in France. Stoke Golding man Cox, no stranger to this kind of endurance events completed the course in a fantastic 17 hours and five minutes, not at all bad considering the 20,000+ feet of elevation to negotiate. Cox finished in the top quartile, a brilliant and staggering achievement without question.
John and Anne Devenney ran the 10K Forest Runner event at Cannock Chase in 75:55 and there were parkrun wins for Dave Hill, Liberty Underhill and Jane Barrett at Hastings High School for the former two and Oaklands for the latter.