Week Ending - 2020/06/21

BRAVE BADGERS BRAVE BARROW

With just two of the schedules eleven races in the 2020 LRRL season having gone ahead and the remainder most likely to not, the Leicestershire League have instead devised a series of events to fill the gap with runners running individual time trials remotely over set weekends, the results of which are fused together to generate race with a full set of results. The first of these came at the weekend in place of the Prestwold 10K, organised by Barrow Runners. The race itself finishes at the Prestwold Driving Circuit and raises much needed cash for Rainbows Hospice For Children And Young People. With this in mind, competitors were asked to make a donation to the charity to enter and over £5,000 had been raised as a result, a super effort. With unlimited entries available, there were just shy of 600 finishers overall, similar to a typical sell out event, but perversely, just 14 Badgers joined the party, enough for a full team of six men and six women, but the club’s lowest turnout for a league race since 2015, albeit an unlicensed one.

First back in a time of 38:30, was Chris Horton who finished 25th overall, a disappointing run by his usual standards, perhaps hindered by his going out during the middle of a hot day. Vice captain Mark Repton was once again close behind, this time in 41st spot, exactly a minute behind his experienced team-mate. His predecessor Robert Boland was next back, taking a few days off from his hectic shadow World Cup schedule to record a fine 46:22. Wayne Repton was next home in 47:28, a good effort from a man fast becoming a solid operator in this field. Dave Jenkinson (48:20) and Rob Crow (48:25) both made the top 200 with their hard fought performances, with fellow veteran Paul Grubb coming through in 52:50 meaning that all seven men were faster than their seven female Badger counterparts. That’s not to say the ladies ran poorly, far from it. Each competitor got back within the hour mark and all seven finished with four and a half minutes of one another. Lil Souter has been another engaged in World Cup drama of late but she too was able to use her good form to good effect as she finished first female Badger in 55:12. Veteran Nivette Chester followed four places and just eight seconds back with newcomer Vicky London going well in 56:33. The reliable Kerry Clover (57:05) made good ground late on to pip a peng Nicki Bowman, who ran a respectable 57:38, one second ahead of fellow veteran Judy Parkes, all of whom made the top 400 places. Stephanie Attenborough was the final member to complete the 10K, doing so in 59:35. In the low key Twister Virtual Half Marathon over in Hampton in Arden, Holly McClay and Andy Smith both ran 2:11:29.

Followers of the Badger World Cup tournament may be interested to learn that the semi finals take place this week over the classic one mile distance. Bookies favourite Jo Davies goes head to head with her near namesake Chris Davies, while Anne Devenney and Clare Whetton meet in the other tie for a place in next month’s final.