TADGERS OUT IN WORKFORCE

There was a concerted effort on Saturday to see a large turnout of members at Kingsbury parkrun and some thirty-plus Badgers made the effort to attend the latest Saturday social/running gathering. This was not including the large number of volunteers who helped make the morning run smoothly, or the two plucky Badgers, stuck in the Workforce recruitment offices after a heavy Friday night on the pop, who windmilled their way into the race by proxy. Speed machine Dave McGowan was first back in second position overall, with a pacy time of 18:02. Rising star Martin Graham clocked an impressive 22:02 with Matt Green following home 23 seconds thereafter. V60 ace Adrian Parkes has been in excellent form of late and here he ran a superb 23:03, five seconds ahead of fellow age group maestro and V60 club marathon record holder Mick Bailey. Oliver Birch managed 23:28 before the rapid Rachael Shelton scooted home in 23:53, good enough for her to finish 4^th female in the field, a fine effort.

Club stalwart and unsung hero David Craig led home a clutch of Badgers including Dave Purvis, Neil Thorne and Nick Miles who celebrated his 100^th Kingsbury run in 26:04. Matthew Smith, Jill Miller, Cameron Barnes and Clare Whetton all sped around the two-lap waterside course before Glen Thomas, Paul Restall, Paul Wallace, Sean White and Karen Draper got back.

Next home was the indefatigable Janet Crumpton, with Terry Argyle, David Bailey, Paul Cooper, Vikki Smith and Sharon Jackson all going well. Ladies captain Lil Souter marked the occasion of her 100^th parkrun with a lovely run combined with her 75^th volunteer stint, an even more impressive effort.

There was a PB for Gemma Spencer in 35:56, a fabulous run from her. Juliette Trollope ran a PB too, in a wonderful 36:39. The oft-hilarious Ann-Marie Currier lapped everyone on the couch and finally, Steve Perry, Vicky Jennings and Anne-Marie Matthews rounded the morning up with Ivana Babicova, like Souter, clocking up her 100^th parkrun.

Away from Kingsbury, there were a number of others in action for various reasons such as holidaying and the like. Stephanie Attenborough was in Arrow Valley, Redditch, running a PB in 29:06. Mark Reynolds was in Markeaton and Zoe Yeatman at the Monsal Trail.

Chris Tweed ran a personal best of 19:16 at Burnham and Highbridge on the Somerset coast, grabbing seventh place in the process. Danny Warren, this time in Margate, Kent took fifth place in a brisk 19:34 with Sam Starkey returning to better form managing a fine third spot at the double out and back course in Dolgellau, Wales, his time being 18:53. Going faster and finishing higher than any Badger at the weekend was key man Glyn Broadhurst, bravely battling his way back from a freak elbow break at Groe in north Wales. He beat everybody else off in a time of 18:23, including his partner and mentor Nicki Bowman was ended up 11^th female in 26:57.

Closer to home, the Coogans, Pete and Hannah, were out in force at The Pastures parkrun, Adam McElhone ploughed a lone furrow at Babbs Mill and Wayne Repton ran 23:22 at Forest Rec. Brierley Forest welcomed Holly and Andy Smith with Gail Gunn doing a turn at Fountains Abbey up north. Also in action were Anna Savin-Baden running 29:29 at Hillsborough and Yvonne Faulkner managing 28:05 in Glossop.

The only race action on the weekend saw Holly and Andy Smith taking on the 16 miles Across The Cynllaith hill race, an arduous affair which saw them finishing exhausted in just under five hours.