Week Ending - 2019/08/04

BADGERS “CANN” JUMP FOR “JOY” AS RECORDS TUMBLE

Badgers continued their quest for major honours again this season at the eighth round of the Leicestershire Road Running League campaign with a resounding collective performance at the Joy Cann 5 race in Huncote. Both the men’s and women’s club records fell, and four new age category records were set as the club were rampant in a fast and furious five-mile race. In the men’s side of the draw, the talismanic Ryan Bennett finished in 10th place with a record-breaking time of 27:42 as he led home a quartet of teammates who incredibly all ran inside the old mark, each finishing in consecutive positions and in quick succession. Chris Baxter (27:55), Danny Warren (27:58) and Chris Horton (28:00) all recorded new personal bests and helped secure the men’s team prize on the night. Horton set a new V40 club record and finished 2nd vet in the field earning the 44-year-old a share of the prizemoney alongside teammate and fellow key man Neil Russell who clocked 28:50 as the sixth Badger back and 4th veteran overall. Dave McGowan ran a superb 28:36 just ahead of Russell in 22nd spot, another personal best for the Baddesley man who is really flying this summer, with previous record holder Aaron Chetwynd battling home in 29:27. Few Badgers are as well respected as Matt Tonks and here the 44 year old veteran of over 150 marathons produced a quality run of 29:47 to finish 8th scorer in a real return towards top form. Luke Melling made his long-awaited road league debut and emerged with a terrific run of 30:14 ahead of the experienced Glyn Broadhurst who ran a PB of 30:20 to ensure the men’s vets team scooped maximum points to extend their lead at the top of division one. Broadhurst’s contribution to the club since joining back in 2015 cannot be underestimated. The club have won successive promotions, back to back cross-country titles and veterans leagues and with almost a half century of appearances now, this is in no small part down to the popular 49-year-old Manchester United fan.

David Niven doppelganger Adrian Payne has long shouldered the responsibility of not only captaincy but being the club’s male pin up for several seasons and here the self-proclaimed gay bachelor of Baddesley powered home in an excellent 30 second PB time of 30:34 meaning the club had a phenomenal 11 runners inside the top 60. Graham Engley, Jimmy Dewis, Rob Boland and Rob Oliver all dug deep to break 35 minutes while the born-again Ben Satchell stormed round in a marvellous new PB of 35:29 ahead of old soldier Colin Lees. Simon Currier, aka Captain Courage, lay everything on the line for his troops and was rewarded with a magnificent new PB, this time of 37:23, ably backed up by the likes of Cameron Barnes, Ian Orton and Rob Crow who produced a stunning new best of 38:19. Wayne Repton, Richard Hill and Bob Dawe all went well before 72 year old John Shade produced a breath-taking run of 42:09 to demolish his own V70 club record, without doubt one of the stand-out performances of the evening, beating many of his far younger peers. Next back was Richard Chester with Alan Argyle, John Dulson, John Devenney, Terry Argyle and Ashley Taylor all getting their jog on. Paul Restall rolled back the years with Dave Dugmore helping himself to a new personal best time of 46:42. Paul Cooper ran a PB of 48 minutes with David Buck following him home but the biggest cheer of all was reserved for the iconic Ted Franklin who turns 80 very soon, as he rolled in determinedly to a rapturous reception.

As a result, the men now have an improved lead over West End Runners at the top of the table as they seek to defend their crown form 2018. These two sides are the only two teams realistically able to win from here with just three races remaining. In the ladies’ side of the race, the Badgers team took maximum points yet again in division two as they assume an almost insurmountable lead at the top of their table. Once more, they were indebted to newcomer Becky Harris who set yet another club record, this time of 35:24 as the blonde-haired flying machine-made mincemeat of the undulating 5-mile course, finishing in 21st place. She was not alone however as former record holder Nivette Chester continued her excellent form in 2019 with a new PB at the age of 47, her time of 35:31 being the second of three performances on the day all inside the old record and still set a new V40 club best in the process. Pocket rocket Monika Lampart stormed home in an exceptional 35:42 to become the third lady to dip inside the old record and pacy newcomer Stephanie Norman would have undoubtedly been a fourth were she not feeling under the weather, her time of 38:12 still hugely impressive as the performances just kept on coming.

The versatile Nicki Bowman clocked a great new PB of 38:31 with the reliable Esther Holyoak once again scoring vital points with her 39:26. Kay Whitehead continues to improve with age as she raced back in a superb 40:17 and Charlene Dunn was the epitome of steadiness as she cruised through the finish line just 15 seconds later. Rachael Shelton continues to impress in the league with another quality display, followed closely by Becky Kinson and Lil Souter who both enjoyed excellent runs. Anna Dawe showed real grit at the end to clock 42:26 with Judy Parkes and Jo Davies (43:14 -PB) both running strongly. The ever-impressive golfing star Helena Rean ran another PB which enable her to lower her existing V60 club record to an impressive 42:59, while skipper Sarah Jane Chetwynd, Hannah Coogan, Janet Crumpton and Charlotte Oliver all did their bit. Vice-captain Ann-Marie Currier bounced back well after injury with Sarah Vine, Mandi Stain, Teresa Satchell, Lesley Palmer, Lisa Barnes and Anne Devenney all rounding up a great night’s work for the club.

Away from the cut and thrust of league action, Chris Baxter was back in the thick of things at the popular Garendon Gallop 10K. The 30-year-old firefighter ran a respectable 37:05 over some tough terrain to finish first male back in the race, with only Charnwood’s GB star Gemma Steel in front of him, pipping the brave Baxter over the final kilometre on a steep climb towards the finish. John and Anne Devenney starred at the Totnes 10K in Devon while at the Hooky 6 in Oxfordshire, Nivette Chester continued her good form by finishing 2nd in the female V45 category with her time of 44:37. Courageous men’s skipper Simon Currier helped himself to his second personal best of the week with a splendid run of 46:23 with big Stuart Walton giving a good account of himself also. Thinking man’s crumpet Ann-Marie Currier continued to work hard as she made the trip in good time after one of the greatest warm-ups in athletics history. Elsewhere, Dave Bailey was first Badger back at the Cannock Chase 10K and Emma Masser finished first female in her OCR race.

There was a wealth of parkrun action taking place on Saturday morning with Gavin Crockwell hitting his 50th volunteer stint and Yvonne Faulkner managing her 50th run at the Severn Valley event. For once there were no first places but a good number of high finishes. Aaron Chetwynd ran 18:12 at Milton Keynes to take 2nd spot while key-man Glyn Broadhurst equalled the feat with his time of 19:44 at Oswestry with Nicki Bowman taking 2nd in the ladies event in 24:56. Cameron Barnes made third at the Claremorris parkrun in 20:02 and John and Anne Devenney were first Badgers back male and female at Teignmouth. At Bedworth, the club’s elite performance director Dave Jackson selflessly helped pace Simon Birch to a course record before letting him go in the final lap. Hinckley’s Birch stormed to a terrific time of 15:55, anxiously looking over his shoulder to check on his rival’s progress only to see the veteran character (v40) coming over the line four places and two and a half minutes back in 18:33. Jackson’s splits were brave, maybe a little too brave but onlookers were left in no doubt whatsoever that this future Badgers Hall-of-Famer is a sure-fire bet for at least an MBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours list. Such was Jackson’s hirsute prowess, it was very easy to overlook the other great performances on the day. Veteran Ryan Handley got back in a quality 19:11 in 7th place with David Craig, Adi Payne, Gavin Crockwell, Sarah Grant and Rich Hamblett all competing.

Chris Horton ran the fastest time of the weekend at Kingsbury Water Park where heavy overnight rain led to a slow and re-routed course being utilised. That said, a stellar cast appeared with the top 11 runners all breaking 18 minutes, Horton’s rapid 17:05 only good enough for 5th place. Keir Hardy returned from holiday to break 20 minutes back in 21st spot while Justin Haywood made excellent progress after his short spell on the side-lines, the Simon’s Heroes hero running a fine 20:15. Bill Gutheridge, Tim Gould, Matt Jackson, Jake Bradford and Paul Wallace all tried hard with Pete Coogan, Colin Lees and Michael Ball all powering round. Becky Atkinson breezed into the top ten with a 25:47 time backed up by solid runs from Lil Souter, Evie Whitehead and Leesa Dennis. Merv Jones featured prominently once again as did Sharon Jackson, Amanda Gould and sisters of speed Lisa Barnes and Sam Klucis. Mandy Hanson and Vicki Fowler also ran.

At Chasewater, Neil Clemons ran a rapid 19:08 while Iwona Jedro flew the flag in far flung Wroclaw parkrun, Poland. Mick Bailey continued to impress at Burnham and Highbridge, the Kingsbury based veteran running a brisk 23:52 and Matt Green clocked a steady 21:50 at Mile End, East London. Zoe Cope and Jenna Davies both ran Braunstone and Charlotte Phillips turned out at Leamington. Lesley Palmer was the sole Badger in action at Long Eaton while the pretty Princess of Pace Karen Thompson represented the club well at the equally pretty Rosliston event. Conkers saw Lee Millership run 22:59 ahead of his contemporaries Mark and Sarah Reynolds, Sarah Vine, Alan and Terry Argyle, Karen Missen and Darryl Johnson. Walsall welcomed Graham Engley who sped round in 19:59 ahead of brothers John and Paul Restall. The effervescent John Hanson and club treasurer Jared Karim were part of a welcoming committee accompanying Yvonne Faulkner round at Severn Valley, Richard Hill, Eamon Thawley and Gail Gunn being in attendance too. Finally, Holly Matts and Andy Smith both got round safely at Oxford parkrun to round up a busy old week for the most popular running club in north Warwickshire, yet again.

In other news, popular V40 star Sam Starkey was missing from the league race but with very good reason as he became a dad to son Ryan and got engaged too – many congratulations to him and his fiancée Laura.