Week Ending - 2019/04/28

THREE GO SUB-THREE AS BADGERS HIT THE CAPITAL

Badgers descended on the streets of London for the 2019 London Marathon with a staggering 22 members running the 38th edition of the iconic 26.2-mile road race. Even more Badgers helped line the streets in support as some 40,000 people from across the world took on one of the ultimate challenges in athletics. Club record holder Ryan Bennett went into the race with high hopes of improving his best and while he was first back over the line in an impressive 2:41:23, the 27-year-old speed merchant paid the price for an overly aggressive start. Despite this, he hung on determinedly to finish well in the top 1000. Team mate Damo Taylor also endured a less than ideal race after suffering a hip problem early on, a bitter blow after months of dedicated hard training. The 6’2” Polesworth man whose hobbies include fishing, managed to battle on heroically for a still impressive 2:43:30. After setting a new vets club record in Manchester three weeks earlier, Badgers key-man Glyn Broadhurst did not hold such lofty ambitions here as his two aforementioned colleagues, yet he was able to produce another sparkling display of distance running to clock 2:56:28, his third sub-three hour time in four attempts.

Dave McGowan made his distance debut and what a beginning it was too. The Baddesley based Arsenal fan stuck to his race plan and gave everything he had as he crossed the line in a magnificent 3:01:36. Mark Repton produced one of the stand-out runs of the day as he too made his marathon debut. Like his team-mate McGowan, the dad of two trained hard throughout the winter in anticipation of the event and was fully rewarded with a terrific time of 3:12:15. The legendary marathon master Matt Tonks has completed more marathons than all of his team-mates here combined and after a challenging few years battling a calf injury, the well-liked Atherstone man ran a decent race to finish in a tidy 3:17:31.

Luke Melling was next through in a quality 3:17:49 with team mate Jason Molloy close behind in 3:21:01 as they ran for the Georgie’s Gift charity. Veteran ace Neil Russell was another more accustomed to shorter distances taking his marathon bow here. The 40-year-old produced a gutsy display to get home in a very respectable 3:21:23. Keir Hardy is a soon-to-be veteran of the future and he bagged himself a brilliant new personal best of 3:25:01, again, excellent reward for months of hard toil and dedication. Outgoing men’s captain Adi Payne enjoyed a whistle-stop tour of the many portaloos in central London as his race deteriorated quickly following a promising start. Despite having a troubled time, he should be proud to have battled on when others may have quit and while his time of 3:36:20 was well below his own high expectations, he must be given credit for his attitude and also the fact that his was the highest total of all the fundraisers taking part from the club. The inspirational Martyn Barrett was back in top form as he broke the V60 club record with a tremendous run of 3:51:16 and Chris Horton, running in fancy dress although sadly not as Lazarus, clocked 3:56:10 having been out of action for two months beforehand with injury.

Emma Masser was next home and first home for the Badger ladies and by some margin too. She ran a hugely impressive PB of 4:07:27 as her season goes from strength to strength, even posing midway through the race for a selfie with broadcaster Chris Evans! Mark Darby was going well until a long standing injury problem reared its ugly head midway through, the Grendon man was hugely disappointed after a great training campaign but dug in to limp home in 4:37:55. Clare Whetton, Leesa Dennis, Alan Argyle and popular club chairperson Karen Thompson (in her 58th marathon) ran together in 5:08:11. Whetton was raising much needed cash for the MS Society charity while Dennis and Argyle were two of the many runners doing their bit for the Mary Ann Evans Hospice. While veteran Argyle is something of a dab hand at the distance having only started his running journey aged 59, both Whetton and Dennis were making their debuts and performed tremendously well. The duo began their careers on the Badgers Beginner’s programme and are living proof of what can be achieved with a bit of graft and application. Paul Cooper earned his medal thanks to his time of 5:39:10 on his marathon debut while the experienced Anne-Marie Matthews (5:47:58) and newcomer Helen Morgan (6:35:35) also finished the race again helping to raise significant funds for their chosen good causes.

Away from the exertions of the marathon, the pacy Chris Baxter travelled to the highly competitive Mid Cheshire 5K race on Friday evening and finished in 96th place, however such was the standard of the race that the 30 year old Ashby man set a new club record for the distance thanks to his magnificent time of 16:25, a marvellous achievement. Helena Rean was in record breaking form too as she joined a number of fellow Bagers on the Fylde coast for the Blackpool half marathon and set a new V60 club best with her rip-roaring 1:58:43. Jo Davies produced a solid 2:02:35 with Yvonne Faulkner twenty seconds behind. Gavin Crockwell also ran. Fastest Badger on the day was the inimitable Eamon Thawley who ran a splendid 1:57:12.

At the Stratford half, Sam Starkey bounced back to form with a quality 89:32 while Matt Green (98:15) and Roland Bulgington (99:12) also delivered quality times. Rachael Shelton looked in good shape too after her travels clocking 1:51:40 while Ian and Sharon Jackson finished within a minute of each other a shade over the two-hour mark. John Hanson weighed in with a strong showing at the Keswick based 4.2 miler, Around The Few Less Houses Race, managing a healthy 35:37. Mark Cox ran a sterling 4:29:01 in the 3 Peaks Fell Race while Richard Hill won the award for the furthest travelled as he took part in the Helsinki 10k, running 57:30. At the Dragon’s Lair 10K near Conkers, Jenna Davies, Wayne Repton and Stuart Walton all flew the black and white flag. Vikki Smith tackled the Tractor 10K in Coventry on Monday making 84 minutes before going six minutes quicker over the same distance in the Big Leicester 10K on the weekend.

Finally, there was a good showing at parkrun on Saturday morning with Graham Engley making waves at Kingsbury with his 19:50 for fifth place. Justin Haywood rolled back the years in 12th with his 20:27. Other runners included Matt Green, Cameron Barnes, Bill Gutheridge, Jake Bradford, Esther and Carl Holyoak, Matt Jackson, John Hanson, Rachael Shelton, Sharon Jackson, Darryl Johnson, Lil Souter, Vikki Smith, Sarah Vine, David Craig, Glen Thomas, Sam Klucis and Lisa Barnes. Mark Robinson ran 31:35 ahead of fellow Baggies fan Terry Argyle with Lesley Palmer and Wayne Repton rounding matters up.

Elsewhere, Charlotte Phillips ran at Leamington, Karen Missen was in action at Cannock Chase and Anne-Marie Matthews ran Valentines Park near Ilford. Paul Grubb (23:42) lead the way at Conkers ahead of Katrina Dawson and Chris Upton. Ian Orton ran 23:15 at Aldenham parkrun and Glyn Broadhurst 22:40 at Hove. Jenna Davies, Holly Matts and Andy Smith got round safely at Bedworth, Matt Tonks ran the quickest time of the weekend in 19:00 at Victoria Dock in London and Richard Hill finished in a career high 14th place at Tokoinranta parkrun in Finland in 26:34. Finally at Fleetwood, Gavin Crockwell managed 8th place with his brisk 23:20, club stalwart Eamon Thawley narrowly missed out on a top ten spot running 24:27 for 12th while Yvonne Faulkner rounded up proceedings with her time of 27:06.