Week Ending - 2020/09/20

BADGERS LOVE HILLS

Badgers staved off hibernation in the last fortnight with a number of members finding runs to get involved with competitive and otherwise. The Croft Canter is usually a popular race in the September calendar and this year the format was altered to allow for the current social distancing methods prescribed by her majesty’s government. The tough ten mile course was self-navigated by small groups set off in batches of no more than six, and while runners could record their times, the race itself was not timed as overtaking was discouraged to keep runners spaced out and safer. Three Badgers entered this year, namely, Gavin Crockwell, fresh from his 2020 Fantasy Football heroics, David Grant and Carl Savage. They each got round in a respectable 1 hour 36.

There were a couple of marathon runners in action once again. The eminent professor of pace Liz Peel was back out there, this time completing her 80^th 26.2 mile or more race as she continues her quest to 100. At the Bullseye themed Need for Speed Boat marathon in Milton Keynes, she was accompanied by former Badger Olivia Stacey, who is incredibly now on 170 marathons despite having over a year out with a potentially career threatening shin injury. The published academic sped round in 4:53:18 to bag joint third female overall in a small field. Although being a lakeside event, no speed boating was actually allowed.

Holly McClay and Andy Smith took on their first marathon in over two years at the off-road Battle of The Borders event set in and around hilly Coalbrookdale and Ironbridge. The durable duo battled hard themselves as they finally completed the arduous course in a shade over six hours. Many marathoners had their London aspirations scuppered with the event’s cancellation, however, a handful of Badgers including new Ladies Captain Lil Souter, former club secretary Serena Baker and Averil Williams are hoping to run the requisite 26.2 miles on their own turf as part of a national “virtual” event put in place in the hope that fundraising and training efforts do not all go to waste.

This year’s Great North Run was another race to go but many people in the running community have undertaken 40 runs for 40 years to commemorate what would have been 40 years of the event. These include Badgers’ own Paul Cooper who clocked up 153 miles in his solo efforts.

Finally, Rob Crow enjoyed some well-earned time off work recently and spent some time in rural Wales. It wasn’t all beer and relaxation however for the Birmingham City supporting key worker as he packed his club vest and trusty trainers to tackle running up Ffordd Pen Lech, near Harlech Castle, the so called steepest street in the world with a gradient of close to 12%. At 2:33, it was probably the slowest he had ever covered the 0.2-mile distance, but also the hardest effort! Well done that man