Week Ending - 2022/08/28

MAN MOUNTAIN MARK’S MONT BLANC MAGIC

Intrepid Badgers Mark Cox and Adrian Payne couldn’t believe their luck when they were both accepted into the UTMB OCC (Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc Orsières-Champex-Chamonix). It is a 55km race that is one of seven featured in the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc event that takes place annually at Chamonix in France. With 11,000 feet of elevation and some of the finest scenery you will ever encompass on a race, the event attracts athletes from around the world, but requires serious training beforehand. This is simply something you cannot wing and hope for the best. The duo needed to run a series of qualification races before they could even enter the ballot and when you account for Covid scuppering the 2020 event, they had to wait four years before gaining acceptance, fortuitously at the same time. Setting off in Switzerland in the early hours, the route works its way around the base of Mont Blanc before winding up in Chamonix, France and a warm clear day greeted the 1600 runners who arrived to take on the epic challenge ahead.

There was more uphill on the first part of the race but significantly less energy available over the second half but both runners acquitted themselves well on a warm and superbly sunny Alpine day. Eventually, after a monumental 8 hours 30 minutes and 27 seconds, it was Stoke Golding man Cox who emerged back first in 254^th place overall, a staggering top-quartile achievement from the former Hinckley RC athlete, who described the accomplishment as “probably the best” he has ever run, executing a masterclass in long-distance pacing and fuelling, picking up numerous places over the closing miles. Baddesley man Payne was ploughing his own lonely furrow behind him. Despite being fitter than ever this year and bagging himself membership to the sub 3 marathon club in April, Payne has significantly less experience than his teammate over ultra-distances. Yet never once did he waver from his task, especially in the absence of a bona fide sweep-up vehicle, and he finally got back to cross the finish line basked in late afternoon sunshine, in 10:44:19, 639^th overall. This was still well inside the top half even with a huge number of starters failing to finish, another terrific achievement from the 37-year-old. With his spent colleague dutifully waiting for him at the finish, enjoying his first beer after a seven-month period of abstinence, Payne’s face lit up when he saw Cox stiffening up rapidly in the L’Atelier Café, a sight enjoyed by the dozens of fellow Badgers watching the live stream of the finish over the internet.

In an exclusive interview with the now dormant Badger Bugle, Payne commented “I knew it would be very tough with this being the furthest distance and largest elevation I have ever done in one race. From thirteen miles in, my 'race' was effectively over. I was feeling unusually tired and weak, but I knew I had to finish as this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Once in the mountains, the only way down was on my own feet or in a helicopter which would have been embarrassing! Credit to Coxy though, he was outstanding today. I would love to come back in the future and try again.”

Over more conventional distances, Pip Weston took on the RAF Cosford based Spitfire 10K as a last-gasp attempt to secure her 2022 club standard times before the end of August when time runs out. Already a multi time club record holder, the Atherstone athlete needed to beat a time of 55:32 to claim a Gold plus award but anything below 53:57 would enable her to eclipse the legendary Helena Rean’s club record set at Prestwold in 2019, a target not a million miles away from her considerable capabilities. Full sun welcomed the runners, who struggled for any shade given the flat course takes in large sections of the airfield runway, but Weston was flying two kilometres in and produced a speedy and measured race to get back in a superb time of 53:36, a new record by 21 seconds, with Rean one of the first to congratulate her teammate. Another terrific run from the lady who still boasts the highest recorded female wava rating at Badgers. Teammate Russell Lomas also ran in the event.

Chris Horton was another Badger on his travels chasing club standards. He needed a ten-mile time below 63:26 in order to complete a hitherto unprecedented full house of Platinum plus times covering every available distance. He travelled to Humberside to run in the fast, flat Gilberdyke 10 race on Sunday morning, covering approximately 10,962 feet less elevation than his friends had to deal with in the Alps, and most of those 38 feet were made up of one up and over railway bridge done twice! With one eye on a personal best, he set off in typically determined fashion, only to falter three miles from home and fall short of his own club record by 34 seconds. Luckily, he ended over four minutes inside his club standard in 59:14, taking 25^th place in the process.

Parkrun saw plenty of action too, with highlights including a first-place finish at Dolgellau from in form Sam Starkey who clocked 18:02. Fellow key man Glyn Broadhurst took second at Coventry in 18:14 with Megan Griffiths third at Kingsbury in 24:01 and Ashley Taylor sixth at the same venue in 20:51. Dave Purvis continued his good form with a PB of 22:32 at Babbs Mill parkrun. Next week sees the conclusion of the 2022 LRRL season at the Rotherby 8 with Badgers men facing a stiff task to overcome a dominant OWLS team at the top of the table as the two sides battle it out for champions status.