Week Ending - 2022/03/13

PLUCKY PARKES RECORDS SEASON’S BEST AT FRADLEY 10K

Popular club secretary Judy Parkes has endured a tough time over much of the winter, being unable to run for a significant time due to injury, but after disciplining herself to keep fit by other means, the one-time graduate of the club’s Beginners programme and now multi-time marathon runner is back in action and produced a super run at the Fradley 10K on Sunday. The fast flat course attracted a handful of Badgers as ever, although with the Ashby 20 race scheduled for the coming weekend, many also opted out in order to rest ahead of their goal event. Parkes clocked a time of 55:48, a classy run and season’s best performance to boot. Fellow Badgers Anne Wells (59:08) and Katrina Dawson (61:25) were also in good form as they too enjoyed their day, but none were as pacy as former club chairperson Karen Thompson, now competing in the V40 category, who sped round in a rapid 54:07.

Judy’s husband Adrian was also racing at the weekend, taking on the Rutland half marathon and getting home fractionally outside of the two-hour mark in 2:00:45, a strong performance. Up at Chester, Ian Orton recorded a tremendous 50:32 in the city’s 10K race.

The remainder of Badgers action was confined to parkrun but there was plenty going on as no fewer than 38 runners turned out up and down the country. As ever, Kingsbury Water Park saw the largest contingent with Mark Repton, deep into his marathon training schedule, rattled round in 19:37 to take second place overall, the highest finish of the weekend. Teammate Sam Starkey, so often a top ten finisher at Kingsbury came home in 20:43 in 6^th place while Neil Thorne, Tim Gould, Wayne Repton, Steve Perry and Mark Reynolds all trotted round in good time with Paul Restall for once showing elder brother John a clean pair of heels in 27:41. Rachael Shelton took sixth lady in 27:43 ahead of Sharon Jackson in 28:01. Jill Miller, Paul Wallace, Judy Parkes and Nicki Bowman all ran as did Lil Souter, Teresa Satchell, Stephanie Attenborough (35:26) and Amanda Gould.

At nearby Bedworth, Manchester marathon bound Ashley Taylor ran a course best 20:58 in 11^th place with the fleet footed Fillongley flyer David Craig going well in 23:50. Babbs Mill saw Colin Lees once again leading the way for the club in 24:17 ahead of Adam McElhone, Merv Jones, Karen Draper and Leesa Dennis.

Matt Green was back on home turf in sunny Southend as he ran a solid 22:06 and up in Keswick, Chris Horton recorded the fastest time of the weekend as he finished 4^th in a super time of 17:02. Yvonne Faulkner ran 30:52 at Markeaton while Sarah Reynolds (27:33) led the way at Conkers ahead of John and Anne Devenney.

Bury Field saw parkrun tourists Andy and Holly Smith in attendance while Peter and Hannah Coogan were in action at Gorleston Cliffs. Gail Gunn ran 35:37 at Severn Bridge parkrun and Liz Peel clocked 32:37 at Dishley.