Week Ending - 2019/06/23

BADGERS BACK ON TOP AFTER PRESTWOLD PROWESS

Badgers excellent 2019 Leicestershire road league campaign continued apace at the weekend at the Prestwold 10K as the club assumed top positions in three of the four main leagues as the season trundles on past the halfway stage. The women’s team have been galvanised this term by the inclusion of Becky Harris and they currently sit top of division two with a huge 18-point lead over closest rivals, Stilton Striders. The men enjoyed a great race too welcoming back the talismanic Ryan Bennett and now top division one by five points over West End Runners. The men’s veterans’ team have also taken a narrow lead in their league in a closely fought contest with challengers Poplar RC and Hermitage Harriers.

The race itself saw a record number of Badgers involved, some 84 completing the 6.2-mile course. Once again it was Chris Baxter who was first back in a PB time of 34:47, just sneaking into the top ten in a high-quality field. Club stalwart Danny Warren followed just three seconds later as he celebrated his first wedding anniversary with a superb return to his very best form. After a spell in the doldrums, it was pleasing to see Aaron Chetwynd bounce back to winning ways as he clocked a mightily impressive 35:35 in 16^th place. Dave McGowan is one of the most improved runners of 2019 and he produced a sparkling new PB of 36:30 as he once again helped his side to deliver maximum points. Ryan Bennett returned to race action after a recent hiatus just two seconds behind with key man Neil Russell rediscovering his speed in 30^th place with a cracking run of 36:49. A weary Chris Horton trundled through a minute later with fellow key-man Glyn Broadhurst bagging the 8^th scoring spot thanks to his excellent PB time of 38:31.

Former captain Adi Payne then led through seven more Badgers to count as B team scorers and such was their combined pace, the club’s B-team would have been a match for most if not all of the other club’s A-sides! Payne produced a great run of 38:46 while Mark Repton, who has come on leaps and bounds this year clocked 38:53, a massive PB. Dad to be Sam Starkey ran a brisk 39:01 with Neil Clemons breaking 40 minutes for the first and certainly not the last time in 39:38. The self-proclaimed Jackal of Jean Street, Dave Jackson followed through next in 39:55, a big step forward in his quest to recapture his best pre-surgery form. The steadiness of his kilometre splits were truly a joy to behold: 4.04 4.01 4.02 3.51 (slight downhill) 4.04 4.01 4.01 4.03 3.56 3.50. Mark Cox ran 40:16, a great new PB for the big-engined enforcer. Justin Haywood produced a superb time of 40:55, hopeful that his next race will see him compete without the hernia trouble that has plagued him in recent months. With 15 men in the top 100, it was a terrific display from Simon Currier’s outfit, but the performances did not end there. Giant striding Roland Bulgington had a good day at the office in 42:39, young Matt Jackson went well in 43:28 and Cameron Barnes is a PB machine out of control right now and he helped himself to yet another best, this time of 43:38.

Storming Stefan Martin powered home next in 43:41, an excellent effort with Graham Engley battling home ahead of the Sultan of Suave, Martyn Barrett. The popular V60 star scooped his second club record in 48 hours as he romped over the line in 44:10 to take nearly four minutes off Alan Argyle’s long standing 10K mark set in 2015. Tim Gould, Bill Gutheridge, the returning Ben Satchell, David Earp, Peter Coogan, Ian Orton and Dave Jenkinson all went well while skipper Simon Currier led by example in the efforst stakes with a quality PB of 48:05. New boy Mick Bailey sped round in an impressive 48:24 and Jake Bradford ran a PB of 48:35. Leon Millership made his long awaited league debut in 48: and Wayne Repton, the genial Alan Argyle, Ian Jackson, Gavin Crockwell, Richard Chester, Terry Argyle, Paul Wallace and John Devenney all made it round. Adam McElhone (52:52) and John Dulson (53:02) both ran effort laden PB’s while Glen Thomas, David Dugmore, Paul Cooper and the ultra-supportive John Hanson in his league swansong all helped round up the men’s action.

The ladies’ side were unsurprisingly led home by the pacy Becky Harris, who finished 19^th overall in the race, her time a rapid 44:07. With Cheryl Dewis unavailable for the race, Nivette Chester was next back 21 places later in a respectable 45:51 and current club 10K record holder Monika Lampart finished third Badger lady in a tidy 47:16. Newcomer Steph Norman showed what a great addition she is to the club as she roared home in 48:10, Rachael Shelton made her long awaited league debut and what a start it was too, narrowly missing her PB, she flew round in a superb 48:17 to help bag valuable points for her table topping team. Esther Holyoak chalked up her 50^th league appearance for the club, a ladies record and as a result she becomes one of just five members to have achieved this milestone. The hardworking hairdresser has been a consistent points scorer for several seasons now and she continued here running a determined 48:10. Kay Whitehead is in great form right now and followed up her parkrun first with a superb 50:41 (PB), narrowly ahead of speedy team-mates Sharon Jackson, Emma Masser and the resurgent Nicki Bowman. The impressive Charlene Dunn turned in another quality display as she romped to a PB of 51:05, Lil Souter followed suit as she clocked 51:32 while Catherine Hobbs also made a solid start to her summer campaign. Katy Clemons keeps on improving, here she managed a PB of 52:06 as her season continues to go from strength to strength. Lorna Jackson is one-to-watch and after overcoming a bout of pre-race nervousness, relaxed to coast home in a steady 53:27.

The in-form Helena Rean improved her own 10K PB and with it set a new club V60 record with her marvellous time of 53:57. Yvonne Faulkner, Kerry Clover, Becky Kinson, Sarah Vine and Hannah Coogan all went well before local darts star Leesa Dennis pulled out yet another stunning performance, breaking her PB for 10K with a wonderful 57:27. Charlotte Oliver got round safely and marathon running Liz Peel finished first female professor back while Rachael Warren, Bev Spencer, Amanda Gould and Vicki Smith all showed great strength in completing the course as the morning heat began to burn through. Jody Parkes and Ju Davies ran well together in 61:32 and Atherstone Ladies football ace Michelle Loveland showed her excellent running prowess on debut for her new club, following in the footsteps of fellow footballers Rachel Crump and the now retired Jo Thompson who have both also starred for Badgers. Veterans Lesley Palmer (66:04 - PB), Lisa Barnes, Teresa Satchell, Mandy Hanson and Anne Devenney all made the trip before Tracy Piper and Anne-Marie Matthews completed a fantastic morning’s work for the side in black and white.

In the one-mile fun run that preceded the main event, Badgers youngster Evie Whitehead made a magnificent debut in club colours, clocking an impressive 6:47 to earn herself a top ten finish, a terrific time as she just gets faster and faster.

There was plenty more action away from the cut and thrust of league life. At Hartshill Hayes, a number of Badgers took part in the Big Bear Longest Day Challenge, Simon Gilbert managed 28 miles to finish 4^th, while Karen Thompson, Dave Earp, Jo Davies, Yvonne Faulkner, Jenny Davies and Anne-Marie Matthews all took part. Five Badgers made the journey to run in Friday evening’s Notts 10 race. Brave Dave Jackson put a shift in to be first back in 67:10. Martyn Barrett was close behind in 71:29 earning him a yet another new V60 club record. Nivette (77:10) and Richard Chester ran 77:10 and 92:15 respectively while Helena Rean improved her own ladies v60 club record by smashing a time of 89:24.

At the Wythall and Hollywood 10K, Richard Hill ran a breezy 54:37, while at the Stone 10K, Mick Bailey raced to a PB of 47:24 and Jo James clocked a healthy 60:55 at the challenging Beacon Solstice Run in Leicestershire.

At parkrun, there were some excellent performances once again. At Kingsbury Water Park, Dave McGowan was the stand-out male runner as he ran a new PB to finish a superb second in 17:26. Sam Starkey broke 20 minutes with Bill Gutheridge running exceptionally well in 21:48. However, Kay Whitehead’s run takes some beating as the popular nurse hung on in the closing stages to record her first ever first place finish by the slender margin of just three seconds. It proved to be a real return to form for the Higham based star who went out to record a new 10K PB the following day! Justin Haywood, Darryl Johnson, Wayne Repton and Evie Whitehead all enjoyed good runs while Terry Argyle, Dave Jarvis and Dave Bailey all did well too. Other runners included Paul Wallace, Sharon Jackson and Peter Black. Vicki Fowler also went.

On the road, Dug and Alex Ladkin were in action at Black Park and Gail Gunn went off like a shot at Braunstone Park. Chris Upton led the way at Conkers ahead of Nicola Stanley, Alan Argyle and Paul Grubb with Paul & Mandy Restall both featuring at Haywards Heath parkrun in Sussex. Lucy and Adam McElhone ran at Perry Hall and top boffin Maggi Savin-Baden turned out at Leicester Victoria Park. Matt Heap was at Letchworth while David Craig, Stefan Martin and Gavin Crockwell flew the flag at Bedworth. The Posh and Becks of Bagers, Glyn Broadhurst and Bernadette Bowman attended Bestwood Village with Broadhurst bagging himself a top ten finish in 7^th place (21:42). Matt Green ran a brisk 21:10 at Holkham parkrun and the athletic Rachael Shelton finished 4^th lady at Sutton Park with her breezy 25:01. Finally, at Chasewater, Graham Engley clocked 20:55 as he led home a nonet of Badgers inclusive of Richard Hill, John & Mandy Hanson, Karen Missen, Neil & Katy Clemons, Andy Smith and Holly Matts.