Week Ending - 2022/09/11

BADGERS HAVE FUN AT THE GREAT NORTH RUN

It was a busy weekend for the north Warwickshire club as runners scattered far and wide for races some to achieve personal targets, others for fun and others as stepping stones to bigger things on the horizon. The Great North Run is a massively popular and over-subscribed event, a 13.1-mile point-to-point on Tyneside attracting many of the best athletes in the UK, if not the world. Birchfield Harriers star Matt Scarsbrook, from Baddesley Ensor, who also represents Badgers now as a 2^nd claim athlete, made the top 40 with a high-quality personal best time of 69:30, a quite magnificent performance. Men’s captain Carl Savage proved his recent 89-minute half marathon was no fluke with another top-quality run of 89:33 in the northeast while Justin Haywood was the first Badgers veteran athlete back in 1:46:08, pipping a revitalised Rob Boland who performed beyond his expectations in a fine 1:46:20. Wayne Repton was next back in 1:53:23, just seven seconds ahead of fellow Tamworthian Ian Orton, with Russell Lomas also breaking two hours with a good run of 1:57:06.

The experienced Nick Miles clocked a healthy 2:19:57 in his attempt at the iconic half marathon. London marathon-bound trio Terry Argyle, Paul Cooper and Ivana Babicova ran together in 2:39:35, just seconds ahead of husband and wife combo, Adam and Eileen McElhone in 2:39:55. Averil Caton and Christine Morris were also in action getting back, once again in tandem, in 2:44:46.

Seven Badgers travelled locally to race the fast and flat Nuneaton 10K with no shortage of success either, despite one of the most bizarre starts to a race you will ever experience. A beautifully observed minute's silence for the late Queen came to a startling end when the starting pistol fired to begin the race, with none of the athletes ready at that point for the off, all still deep in thought and respectful of the recently deceased monarch. Once the initial chaos had subsided, Chris Horton was first back in 8^th place overall with a new vet’s club record of 35:24, shaving two seconds off his personal best in the process. While thrilled with his achievement, teammate Neil Russell was twice as pleased as he finished eleven seconds and two places behind his fellow Badger with a massive new personal best of 35:35. Given he has barely raced this year, it was a monumental effort from the Bulkington based speedsmith and testament to his ability to keep fit while not able to compete regularly. With two men in the top ten, Stefan Martin had his work cut out as third Badger home but nonetheless, he enjoyed a brilliant run with a personal best of 42:14 to make the top 40. Like the younger Russell ahead of him, he knocked around a minute off his old best, set back in 2017.

V60 10K club record holder, Pete Mann took it easy for once as he helped pace partner Fiona Reidy to her time of 62:41 with Richard Boyd close behind in a hard-fought 65:08. Finally newcomer Gemma Spencer recorded a PB at the distance with her run of 76:39 rounding up a productive morning at the Pingles.

Two Badgers tackled the Kenilworth Half Marathon while this was going on. Bill Gutheridge ran a superb 1:39:02 to earn a PB, despite being on the wrong side of 40 while Mick Bailey did similarly, running his fastest half ever at the age of 69. Although he was a late starter in the world of running, you cannot knock his performance of 1:45:44, second in his age group and yet another classy piece of athletic achievement from Bailey, who continues to keep right on.

The Lichfield half saw Neil Clemons going well in 15^th place with a decent sub-40 time on a tough course. The Grendon galloper made 39:12 as he maintains his good summer form. Simon Payne (54:32) and the experienced Eamon Thawley (59:31) both broke the hour mark and newbie Megan Griffiths pushed herself into the top ten with a personal best effort of 50:21, a super first season for her.

Stephanie Attenborough recorded a 50k PB at Saturn - Pretty Runners at Runnymede in 6:37, her third race of the week after completing the SB Marathon in 5:30:57 at Staines and an earlier half marathon at hilly Ampthill with Big Bear Events in 2:58:35.

London-bound Ann Marie Currier and Karen Draper took part in the Milton Keynes Running Festival on Sunday with four and three five-mile lake laps respectively. Currier’s 20 miles were made in 3:37 while Draper managed her 15 in 2:54 as they now look forward to their taper period ahead of the big day. In the Lake District, Cameron Barnes was an excellent 6^th in the Maverick Terrex X-Series 15.5 mile “middle” distance race, getting finished in 3:07:52. Dave Jenkinson did the 29.5 mile “long” event, finishing 2^nd in his age category in a time of 8:33:31 and a mighty 13^th overall.

There were good parkrun performances from Dave Hill and Glyn Broadhurst who ran 16:58 and 17:42 respectively for 2^nd and 3^rd at Walsall. Megan Griffiths was 5^th lady and Mark Repton 6^th overall at Kingsbury Water Park and Sam and Laura Starkey both took top six spots at Gedling parkrun. The prolific Liz Peel made the top ten at The Wammy parkrun as did Judy Parkes at the Lichfield-based Beacon run. Rachael Shelton was the highest-placed female of all Badgers with her third-place finish at Bramshall Road (Uttoxeter) in 25:36.