Week Ending - 2022/02/27

CHEESY DOES IT!

HISTORY MADE AS SCARSBROOK TAKES STILTON 7 WIN

After just over a decade in existence and a Leicestershire Road Running League member since 2014, Badgers finally had their first ever winner of a road league race on Sunday as the in-form Matt Scarsbrook romped to victory in the 2022 opener, the Stilton 7 near Melton Mowbray. The club had enjoyed individual placings as high as fourth prior to Scarsbrook’s arrival but the Baddesley man has steadily raised the bar over time culminating in his emphatic win at the weekend.

From the off, Scarsbrook looked as though he meant business, haring away into the distance with Hinckley’s Simon Birch for company. Birch fell by the wayside halfway into the two-lap course leaving the 25 year old Blues fan to time-trial his way behind the lead van to take first place by almost a minute from second place Luke Ingram of OWLS. A number of supporters were watching at the finish line, none prouder than his dad, Steve, who as ever was there to witness Badgers history in the making. Matt’s finish time of 36:46 ranks as one of the fastest over this course as his season began in the best possible style. Suffice to say the club record was also beaten with comfort.

Forty of his teammates were behind him with a number of outstanding performances amongst them also. Dave Hill, currently in training for the Paris marathon made the top ten with a classy run of 40:18, a big personal best for him. Once again, one place and just six seconds behind was Chris Horton in 40:24, second vet to finish in the event and the only other Badger besides Scarsbrook before him to achieve a county diamond standard in the race. Big things were expected of new recruit Ryan Preece, who battled bravely to finish 18^th (41:38) despite a heavy cold, a great effort in the circumstances marking him out as one to watch this season.

Former captain Adrian Payne (43:00) had the honour of donning the number one race number and he cashed in on his latest good form by recording a personal best time ahead of his busy year of athletic challenges. The seven-mile distance is not the most commonly run which led to a number of personal bests in the field but take nothing away from young Cameron Barnes who produced one of the most staggering displays on a day packed with them. The Atherstone man, grandson of Nuneaton Harriers great Terry Hardy, took some three and a half minutes off his best in 44:40 to become the Badgers final counter, his first foray into the top 55 too. This was one place ahead of Chris Tweed who at the age of 40, cemented his status as one of the club’s key men as he helped underpin the vets team looking to retain their titles of recent years. Tweed ran a PB of 44:51, even beating off a returning Danny Warren who made his way back after injury. Skipper Carl Savage was next home in 46:43 with Ashley Taylor (47:25 – PB) also making the top 100 alongside Jimmy Dewis (47:34 – PB) who narrowly missed breaking Ian Smith’s long held V50 club record. David Craig helped score vet points too as Badgers took third place in that division and vice-captain Dave Jenkinson helped himself to a well-deserved PB time of 52:14.

Martin Graham, Bill Gutheridge, Wayne Repton and Rob Crow all ran strongly before Mick Bailey crossed the line in 55:27, to take the V60 club record, less than a year before he moves up to the V70 age group, a quite phenomenal achievement. Ian Orton, Andy Altoft, Leon Millership, Simon Currier, Adrian Parkes, Russell Lomas and Adam McElhone all battled round with seasoned campaigner John Shade still going strong in the V75 age group, beating many good runners significantly younger along the way. Pauls Grubb and Restall rounded up the men’s action.

The Badgers ladies were once more led home by the inspirational Cheryl Dewis, who added the ladies V50 club record to her ever-growing list of achievements. The Atherstone based grafter ran 53:47, over two minutes clear of Emma Woolrich who herself ran an excellent race in 56:02. Vice-captain Nicki Bowman dipped under the hour with a determined run of 58:08 and her skipper Lil Souter dipped just over the hour in 60:08, mournful of the fact the timing mats malfunctioned meaning that race times went on gun times not chip times, penalising those not on the very front of the race time-wise. Notwithstanding, she managed an excellent PB all the same as did the remarkable Janet Crumpton who shows no sign whatsoever of slowing down. Here she cruised to a new best of 62:23, 13 seconds ahead of newcomer Suzy Farrell.

The experienced Liz Peel was next home in 65:22 with steady club secretary Judy Parkes, Hannah Craig and Ann-Marie Currier all piling back in quick succession. There were still more Badgers to come though as veteran trio Karen Draper, Jo Davies and Leesa Dennis all completed the race to the obvious delight of watching team-mates.

Away from the action of the LRRL, Glyn Broadhurst switched events at the eleventh hour to run in the Windsor Lakeside half marathon, having trained specifically for the Wrexham half the week prior only to have his hopes dashed by the weather causing a cancellation. The course at Eton Dorney was pancake flat but strong winds put paid to most runners’ hopes of a target time. But if 45-year-old Broadhurst knows one thing, it is how to work hard and despite some back trouble, he dug deep to take third place overall in the race in 82:10, a new personal best, albeit below his high expectations but a great effort all the same.

There was action at parkrun too where Matt Green chalked up a magnificent 200 appearances, this in addition to his countless volunteer stints on a Saturday morning. Vikki Smith managed her 50^th, also at Kingsbury. Neil Thorne, Austen Puleston, Bill Gutheridge, Glen Thomas and Paul Wallace were all in action as were Caroline Smith, Liz Peel, Terry Argyle, Paul Cooper and Dave Bailey. Jill Miller, Amanda Gould, Steve Perry, Ivana Babicova and Matt Heap also starred.

Rachael Shelton travelled to the home of it all in Bushy to run a typically brisk 24:12 while Holly and Andy Smith appeared at Shipley Park, Wayne Repton at Northampton and Dave Jackson Walsall Arborectum, in a season’s best 19:00 no less. Babbs Mill saw Colin Lees lead the way in 7^th place (22:28) trailed by Merv Jones, Leesa Dennis, Adam McElhone and Karen Draper.

This week sees the cross-country season finale at Market Bosworth with the men’s team looking to take the title by defending their two point lead over West End Runners and the ladies look nailed on to return to the top division with a strong, almost unassailable lead in the second tier.