Week Ending - 2023/04/16

TWEED’S SPECTACULAR ROAD TO MARATHON GLORY

It is fair to say that Chris Tweed was something of a journeyman runner, tackling his first marathon in 2010, at Brighton in 4:24 before spending the next decade having three more attempts to break four hours. The target got closer yet never broken but as he turned forty and joined Badgers, a remarkable transformation occurred. A concerted effort at London in 2021 yielded the Dordon dad-of-three a dream time of 3:45 which he proceeded to batter the following year with a magnificent 3:18 at Chester. With improvements quite clearly noticeable, he targeted Manchester in 2023 and dedicated himself to a four-month training regime that might lead him to the ultimate glory for club runners, a sub-three-hour time. Conditions were certainly favourable at the weekend, but the 26.2-mile distance still needed to be run and run quickly but that is exactly what the 41-year-old proceeded to do. The final two miles were particularly tough going as energy levels dwindled to the bare minimum, but he hung on to get over the line in a time of 2:59:17, a time beyond his wildest expectations over a decade ago when statistically he should have been at his peak. His achievement is the best advertisement for hard work and dedication and his newfound level of performance will mean he is a vital cog in the club’s vet men’s side in the 2023 road league season. 

Tweed’s remarkable rise to prominence enabled him to become one of only ten Badgers on the current register to have a sub-three time to their name. There were others knocking on the door in the same race along with an age grade club record also. Firstly, Neil Clemons, in just his second attempt at the distance recorded a quite superb 3:05:57, not surprisingly a personal best and a sub-three time looks well within his capabilities in the next year or two. Veteran Sam Starkey is a very solid operator, and his training was beset with interruptions, yet remarkably, the Tamworth man managed a super run of 3:11:14, five minutes quicker than his old personal best at Chester last year. He is another with the clear ability to join that exclusive band of runners, subject to a good training block and limited misfortune. 

Dave Jenkinson took fourteen minutes off his personal best and more impressively another two minutes off Jimmy Dewis’s V50 club record with his marvellous time of 3:26:52. With brilliant splits, the Atherstone man was on cloud nine after his run, reaping the rewards for another super stint of hard training in the first few months of the year. Just six seconds late came former captain Carl Savage who showed once again what a quality engine he has on him. For anyone who knows the Alvecote flyer, running marathon times below 3:30 on a regular basis would have seemed like a complete fantasy many years ago and his time here shows what rewards hard work and commitment can bring. 

Veteran Matt Green did well to make the race at all after going down heavily on his hip in training a week before. The experienced Southend supporter did well to two-thirds distance but had to manage substantial discomfort for the remaining miles as the hip pain returned, ultimately finishing in a courageous 3:45:06. Andy Altoft managed a PB in 4:34:32, some nine minutes quicker than his previous best as he continues to improve his running. When it comes to determination, you would be hard pushed to find anybody in the race as gutsy as first female Badger back on the day Jo Davies. The popular Atherstone-based star got back in 5:02:08, even co-opting fiancé Rob Crow into action ahead of his big race in London this week, to help her get through the final few miles.

On the same day, there was a significant local race taking place, the popular Lichfield to Tamworth ten miler, Cathedral to Castle. Mark Repton led the club home with a brilliant top-ten finish in 64:10, a great run for the soon-to-be veteran. Cameron Barnes was next back in 67:50, a big improvement from his time in 2022. Bill Gutheridge was first vet Badger back in 73:04 with a new-look lean mean running machine Paul Grubb storming home in a hugely impressive 80:46.    

Rising star Liberty Underhill ran with Megan Griffiths as they led the ladies home in 81:18, taking third place in her age category for good measure too. Griffiths showed further good form with a 10-mile PB for her troubles. Simon Payne made a two-minute gain on 2022 with his excellent 87:33. In-form Sharon Jackson ran 89:01, two minutes ahead of Jamie Lawrence, making his distance debut in 91:19. Anna Savin-Baden ran 1:48:41 with Paul Restall going well in 1:52:22. Anne Devenney ran a new best in 1:58:47 with husband John matching her stride for stride. Vicki Jennings and Vicki Brunsdon rounded up the action minutes later on another bumper day for the club.

At the Conkers-based Run In The Forest 5-mile race Colin Lees ran a fine 37:23 on the mixed terrain route which saw Badgers second claim athlete and current Tamworth AC leading light Ash Baldwin take a superb second place by just six seconds in 27:10. Birchfield Harriers star Matt Scarsbrook, another second claim Badger ran a lightning leg at the National Road Relays on Saturday, following up a top-five team finish from the Midlands qualifiers. 

At parkrun, Danny Warren trounced the competition at Kingsbury with an emphatic first place in 17:11 on a wet day. The top ten was packed with teammates as Adrian Payne 2nd, Mark Repton, Ashley Taylor, and Bill Gutheridge all cemented a place in it. There were other top-ten finishes for Suzy Farrell (fourth at Bosworth), Sharon Jackson at Barnsley and Jill Miller at Tamar Lakes. a