Week Ending - 2021/01/03

BADGERS MARATHON WOMEN CLOSING IN ON 100

The Quest for the Vest is the phrase heard in the circles of runners who are aiming to join the 100 Marathon Club, a club exclusively for those tenacious enough to cover a minimum of 2,620 miles in a minimum of 26.2 mile distances. Ex-Badgers Matt Tonks, Adie Kirkham and Olivia Stacey have all reached, and exceeded, the elusive 100 marathon goal, but two Badgers, Karen Thompson and Liz Peel are currently on that very same quest.

Their journeys began seven and eight years ago. Karen ran her first marathon at London in 2012, and Liz her first in Worcester in 2013.

Before the pandemic hit Thompson and Peel had run around 36 marathons together, including the Week at the Knees event with fellow Badger Alan Argyle on 12 March 2020 - just before Lockdown 1. At that point in their journeys, they had each run 76 marathons.

Peel had retired from marathon running in September 2014 after running Chesterfield, her hometown, and reaching double figures. Chesterfield was memorable race for both, not because the course was spectacular, but due to the friendly support from the people of the town. One resident put her toaster, kettle and mugs on her garden wall so she could properly enjoy the event – great work duck.

Thompson has been consistent throughout but Peel had a set back with a calf injury which meant nearly 18 months off the marathon trail.

In 2016, though, the duo’s marathon focus intensified with the regular marathoning company of Serena Baker. They ran the Unusual Suspects event in Kent together in February 2016, followed by another curiously titled Shaken not Stirred in Milton Keynes that June and Samphire Challenge in the July. That same autumn they ran again in September, along with the iconic Snowdonia marathon in October, and once more along the very chilly banks of the River Thames in the November, and rounded off with the festive Christmas Enigma marathon hosted by Enigma Running, a company who has laid on countless marathons attended by the pair. Of Peel’s 14 marathons in 2016 seven were run together with Karen, indicative of subsequent marathoning years.

There have been far more highs than lows, and many memorable moments on the journey so far. Malta, in March 2017, involved a very early coach trip the start in medieval M’dina and an exceptionally fast downhill start for the pals. Thompson recorded a then-personal best time of 3:47, just two minutes shy of the qualifying standard required for London, a situation she soon amended by running a blistering 3:40 at Manchester the following month. Finish lines have been crossed hand in hand in Nottingham’s Robin Hood marathon, September 2017, and twice in Llanberis for 2017 and 2019 Snowdonia events – renowned for its steep descent into the town and stunning views.

In February 2018 the pair completed the Icing on the Cake marathon up and down the Long Mynd in Shropshire, surviving blizzard conditions on the moorland, and went back to endure the second lap and complete the race. They ran the Spooky Halloween Challenge event in November 2013, fittingly in the dark and survived the point to point Winter Run to the Castle, December 2018, which involved the full range of different weather conditions, getting lost and some beautiful Welsh countryside from Aberdovey to Barmouth. They also ran the 12 hour Lightning Run for Sepsis UK in April 2017 as solo entrants – completing 80K (just under 50 miles) each for a very worthy cause.

Between them, they’ve now run 169 so entry to the club is becoming tantalisingly close. The pandemic has thwarted many marathons in 2020 with cancelled events, rearranged races and uncertainty par for the running course. They both hope to achieve the epic 100 in 2021 – thirteen years after starting running for Karen, and a decade from the ‘couch to 5K’ for Liz.