Week Ending - 2022/04/10

BARNES TAKES TOP SPOT AT BABBS MILL

Badgers star Cameron Barnes took his first ever first place finish at parkrun this Saturday with a superb run at Babbs Mill near Chelmsley Wood. The Atherstone man has been in superb form in 2022 and his win comes straight off the back of a quality marathon PB in Manchester last week. He cruised to victory by 14 seconds in a time of 18:56 followed home by fellow Badgers Ian Orton, Colin Lees, Adrian Parkes, and Adam McElhone. Barnes’s aunty, Jo Hardy, was also in action managing a fine 26:14 to take fourth lady with Judy Parkes impressing in 27:56 (eighth place). Ivana Babicova and Paul Cooper also went. At Kingsbury Water Park, Mark Repton ran 19:31 in seventh place to celebrate his 100^th parkrun. Ashley Taylor continued his great form in 20:31, a course best, while a resurgent David Craig, Neil Thorne, Tim Gould, Andy Smith, Wayne Repton, Sam Starkey, and Matt Smith (26:01 – PB) all fared well. As so often is the case for Badgers at Kingsbury, Rachael Shelton finished top lady and ninth overall in just under 26 minutes with Sharon Jackson, Pip Weston, Caroline Smith, Jill Miller, Paul Wallace, and Karen Draper all featuring.

At Trentham Gardens, Nicki Bowman made the top ten with a rapid run of 26:46, partner Glyn Broadhurst clocking a respectable 20:43 ahead of her. Katy Clemons finished ninth lady at Oaklands and the Restall brothers both ran at Beacon parkrun in Lichfield. Chris Young made his parkrun debut at Bedworth and Nick Miles ran a PB in Preston (26:32). Gail Gunn flew the flag in Wakefield with Sarah Vine, Teresa Satchell, and Sarah O’Donoghue all rocking at Rosliston. John and Anne Devenney appeared at Sutton with Clare Whetton taking advantage of a rare Saturday off work to run at Sherwood Pines. Intrepid tourists Zoe Yeatman (Hereford) and Holly and Andy Smith (Southwick) did not miss out and at Walsall, Mick Bailey produced one of the best runs of the morning age-grade wise with a fantastic 23:16.

Away from parkrun, Carl Savage, and Sean White both ran the Derby 10K with Savage also running part of the Big Bear Badger Challenge Event around Beacon Hill in Leicestershire which saw Paul Grubb (16 miles), Yvonne Faulkner and Steph Attenborough in action. Attenborough had another marathon to address in the week at the Rasselbock Spring event in Sherwood Pines meaning she spent almost twelve and a half hours altogether across two marathon distance events.

Stateside, the popular Angela Stallings ran the 10-mile Tar Heel race in Chapel Hill, North Carolina in a time of 1:41:18 and at home, Colin Lees completed the Cannock Chase 10K in 50 minutes. Andy and Holly Smith get around a bit and this weekend they managed the Dorset Ooser half marathon in 2:52. Last but not least, Badger of the year 2021 Matt Scarsbrook continues to impress at his new club Birchfield Harriers, the second claim Badgers man helping his side to 15^th overall in the National Road Relays at Sutton Park with an incredibly brisk 5.3-mile leg of 27:13.