Week Ending - 2022/01/30

50 UP FOR TAYLOR AND CROW AT MALLORY PARK MEET

Badgers took to the penultimate cross country league race of the season which saw two long-serving members, Rob Crow and Ashley Taylor, reach their personal milestones of completing 50 league races for the club and in doing so joined a select band of just a dozen athletes to reach the mark. The race was set around the perimeter fields of the famous Mallory Park motor racing circuit, with Badgers hoping to extend both their slender one-point advantage at the top of the men’s league and narrow lead in Ladies division two.

Once again, the men were indebted to Baddesley based speedster Matt Scarsbrook who looks certain for individual honours in the league this season with one win and two second places already to his name. The 24-year-old Blues fan took second yet again, this time behind the rapid Simon Birch from Hinckley, the RAF man making his first appearance in the series on a visit home. These two were significantly clear of the rest of the field and but it wasn’t long before the distinctive black and white vests began to pour through. Firstly, Dave Hill showed great mental strength as he battled his way to 12^th place overall after a week out of action with dirt-averse veteran Chris Horton finishing just seconds behind him in 13^th. Dave McGowan produced arguably the most incredible run of the morning as he came home in an amazing 14^th spot, straight off the back of a 15-mile warm-up run to the venue following a night of celebration at his engagement party! Thankfully, Katy Clemons was on hand for a lift home.

The reliable Glyn Broadhurst has long underpinned the men’s team’s successes in the past six years and he was at it once again here as he dug in to finish in 21^st spot with a resurgent Aaron Chetwynd quietly making his way back towards the upper reaches of the leader boards with a determined 23^rd. Danny Warren is battling his way back after a hip problem and the club Chairperson lead by example with a gritty effort to make the top 30. With a number of Badger stars missing through illness or unavailability, it was left to the in-form Ashley Taylor to make the scoring eight on his 50^th appearance, his first time in the points for over half a decade.

One-to-watch Martin Graham was next back, narrowly ahead of stocky veteran ace Dave Jackson and 8-mile specialist Rob Crow. The evergreen Mick Bailey was next through with yet another mesmeric run and Lee Millership, John Shade still going strong at age 75 and the experienced Eamon Thawley all dug deep on a drier than average course, characterised by many short sharp bumps in the adverse-cambered grassy road.

The ladies were missing their talisman, Eleanor Fowler, for the first time this season, but Emma Woolrich stepped up to lead the side home in her absence with a quality run in 26^th spot with the tireless Cheryl Dewis grafting as hard as ever in 29^th place. Vice-captain Nicki Bowman made the top 50 for the first time in a long time with a spirited run much to the delight of injured captain Lil Souter who was co-ordinating matters from the side-lines. Katy Clemons was back in the side and similarly did not disappoint as she too made the points just ahead of the indefatigable Pip Weston. Mandi Stain ran out of her skin to make the top 100 ladies and while Ann-Marie Currier may be bereft of screenwash she was abundant with guts and determination as she hauled her veteran self through the two lap five and a half mile course to finish in front of Ivana Babicova and the intrepid explorer Gail Gunn.

Elsewhere, Russell Lomas ran the Not the Roman IX in 64:25. Parkrun saw plenty of action too with the highlights being Glyn Broadhurst’s 3^rd place at Stratford upon Avon with a brisk 18:04. Sam Starkey broke 20 minutes at Kingsbury Water Park as the veteran speedster took a fine 3^rd place with former vice Captain Mark Repton managing 20:58 in 8^th. Babbs Mill saw Ian Orton take 8^th place in 22:45 with Caroline Smith being the highest place Badger lady across all parkruns with her 6^th place finish.