Week Ending - 2021/06/13
CHERYL DOES IT AGAIN!
The Boston half marathon in the flatlands of East Lincolnshire attracted a large number of runners from across the Midlands and beyond, all within a Covid secure running environment, and three Badgers were on hand to give the 13.1-mile distance a good go. Fast times were expected on a course synonymous with such and all three were rewarded, two with new personal bests and another with an age grade club record.
Cheryl Dewis has long been one of Badgers fastest female runners, irrespective of age, and since turning 50, the Atherstone based grafter has been picking off a host of V50 club records and here it was Stephanie White’s long-standing mark that fell to the fleet footed barber. Dewis finished an impressive 5th in her age group overall thanks to her time of 1:47:01, taking some six minutes off White’s very respectable time set in 2017 at Clowne. It was also a season’s best for Cheryl but not quite a personal best, however, there was at least one PB in the Dewis household as husband Jimmy clocked a superb 93:04 to finish 8th in his age category. If that was not impressive enough, former men’s captain Adrian Payne cashed in on his improved fitness of the last 12 months by smashing out a quality 84:26, his best time ever as he ended up 61st out of 519 runners. The race was won by Hinckley RC ace Simon Birch in 67:35.
Two other Badgers were in action recently to make this a report high on quality but perhaps low on quantity. Karen Thompson and Liz Peel are both within touching distance of their 100 marathons now and each produced another two more en-route to their target, certainly among the more challenging ones they will have had to have endured. An early start helped offset some of the sweltering conditions that rapidly built during the mornings. As anyone who has ever done one will tell you, running 26.2 miles is not easy, so doing one on the warmest weekend of the year and then the same again the following day takes some application and determination. Thompson somehow managed to complete her double in less than five hours per run, an inspiring feat of endurance and fitness.
With the 2021 version of the five race Leicestershire Road Running League due to start in two weeks’ time at the sold out Prestwold 10K, there was a live draw at the weekend to determine the groups which teams will fall into as organisers try to jazz the format up in the shortened competition. Dubbed the “Reunion League” Badgers are in a group along with Wreake & Soar Valley, Coalville Tri, OWLS, Ivanhoe Runners, Roadhoggs and Team Anstey Amblers, the top two teams qualify for a final in the last race of the season, the inaugural Rotherby 8. Teams will be a mix of four male and females, inclusive of at least one veteran per gender.