Week Ending - 2020/03/01

PARKES TAKES BIG LEAP WITH POLISHED PERFORMANCE

Once again, poor weather led to the cancellation of another cross-country league race, this time at nearby Market Bosworth meaning that the Badgers racing weekend had a distinctly truncated look about it. Several parkruns survived the cull in the UK but wet conditions prevented fast times. Well respected Badger Judy Parkes bucked this trend however as she ran the Gdansk parkrun in Poland and came away with a superb new personal best. The mum of two who is currently midway through her coaching qualification, bagged a wonderful 24:58, over half a minute than her previous best set at Kingsbury parkrun, an event she helps manage in her spare time. Her speedy effort was enough to earn her a career high 5th place finish too (ladies).

The 29th of February is known as Leap day and for the first time ever, parkrun took place on this day and the club enjoyed more success as Chris Horton (18:01) led the way home at Bedworth parkrun for the second time in three weeks, followed home by team mate Adrian Payne (18:45) for a superb club 1-2. While Horton could be forgiven for believing he might be the sole Badger Leap Day winner for the next 28 years, in reality it lasted just 68 seconds as over at Oaklands parkrun in Birmingham, in-form Neil Clemons powered to a fine first place of his own in 19:09, his first ever win. He was followed home by Jake Bradford (24:28) and Adam McElhone (28:09).

Coventry parkrun saw Graham Engley go well once again in an impressive 20:44 while Dean Bowd ran 25:16 at a congested Cannon Hill Park in Birmingham. Andy Smith, Anne-Marie Matthews and Holly McClay all performed at Jersey Farm with Jared Karim travelling to the Netherlands to run the fledgling Maxima Park event there in 26:53. Dug & Alex Ladkin were also overseas, this time in the USA tackling the Clermont Waterfront parkrun while newcomer Stephanie Attenborough turned out at Babbs Mill. Conkers saw a good show from the club with Sam Starkey leading a side back that included Ashley Taylor, Alan & Terry Argyle, Lorna Jackson, Jason Husselbee-Orwin, Paul Grubb, Gail Gunn and Vikki Smith. Fantasy football guru Lee Millership ran 23:30 at Bedworth with quiz-king Paul Hadland coming home in 25:58.

Kingsbury Water Park had to re-route their route due to flooding and it was the hardworking Tim Gould who was first back for the club in a superb 9th place overall with his time of 21:57. New signing Neil Thorne finished in 22:45 a few places back with Colin Lees, Bill Gutheridge, Ben Satchell, David Craig, Wayne Repton and Mick Bailey. Men’s captain Simon Currier put in as courageous performance as you are likely to see with team-mates Paul Wallace and Mike Wyant left trailing in his wake. For the ladies, it was the speedy Rachael Shelton who helped herself to a top ten finish, 8th lady in 26:03. Felicity Gray finished 44 seconds and one place behind as she too made the top ten. Lil Souter and Amanda Gould also ran.

Away from parkrun, Emma Masser bravely tackled the Belvoir Trail marathon in filthy conditions, emerging back 16th overall in a fine run. Marathon connoisseurs Liz Peel and Karen Thompson were back in action. Peel attempted an ambitious double, taking on two off road ultra events in one weekend, the first in Kent, the Leap Day Challenge, a 28-miler followed up with a 27.5 miler in the Hannington Hike in Northampton, accompanied on this leg of the journey by the energetic Thompson. Wayne Repton went long again, this time in a 20-mile race at Oundle in 3:03:41. The Reynolds family ran the Scott’s Dirty Dozen 12K trail race with Jack finishing in a respectable 1:20:46, dad Mark close behind in 1:37:08 and determined mum Sarah battling her way to a time of 1:50:53. Finally, in Benidorm, Steph White ran the 10K there in 52:32 as she makes her way back from injury, the long serving Badger taking 5th in her age group.