Week Ending - 2023/05/21

SCINTILLATING SCARSBROOK SCOOPS SECOND AT SYSTON

In form Badgers star Matt Scarsbrook backed up his emphatic win at the Bosworth half marathon with a superb second place in the Leicestershire Road Running League’s most recent race, the West End 8 at Syston. Over 600 runners from within the league and beyond joined the fray for the 8-mile race, held on a warm and sunny Sunday morning. Scarsbrook increased his lead at the top of the individual league standings as he was only beaten (and narrowly at that) by Newham and Essex Beagles ace Frank Baddick, who operates out of Loughborough University and is not part of the league set-up. The Badgers man ran a rapid 41:32 to take silver by just twelve seconds and was the only runner from his club to earn a prestigious Platinum county standard on the day. 

For all of Scarsbrook’s brilliance, it was anything but a one-man show as scores of his teammates backed him up with good showings of their own. Danny Warren was next through in a pacy 45:55, three seconds ahead of the record-breaking Dave Hill. The duo finished 15th and 16th respectively. The speedy Neil Russell made a welcome return to road action in 2023 with yet another class run, the Bulkington-based flyer never seems to have a bad race and flew around here in 48:05 to make the top 30. He was followed by fellow veteran Chris Tweed (50:18) in 49th spot and Adrian Payne (53:29) who completed the Badgers scoring six (male). Tweed ran yet another personal best in what is shaping up to be a stellar season for the Dordon dad.

Newcomer Mark Coggan put in an excellent performance yet again with his 54:46 and B-team backup came in spades thanks to the likes of Ashley Taylor (57:23), Jim Cottom (59:04) and Matt Green (59:27). All three showed their quality by getting back under the hour mark, a feat almost matched by the hardworking Bill Gutheridge who just missed out by a single second but still ended up going home with a richly deserved PB. Vice-captain Dave Jenkinson was able to say similarly, his time of 60:41 means he has now run a personal best in every road race attempted since October 2022, a man bang in form. Fellow V50 kingpin Colin Lees was next home in 60:53 followed by Wayne Repton, Stefan Martin and V50 eight-mile club record holder Rob Crow. Peter Mann, Dave Purvis and Mick Bailey all ran well on a hot morning before Adrian Parkes, Adam McElhone and Paul Cooper rounded up the action for the men. 

There were plenty of ladies in action at the race too, plenty being twenty in this case. They were led home by the highly impressive Liberty Underhill who has already made big strides forward in what is her first season at the club. She made the top 50 overall with a splendid 63:13 and Megan Griffiths was once again not far behind in a super time of 64:57, a big new personal best for one of the hardest-working members of the ladies' side. Veteran athletes Suzy Farrell and Sharon Jackson are both in excellent form at present and they too helped themselves to personal best times for the distance in 68:03 and 69:17 respectively. Farrell’s time was only 33 seconds shy of Nicki Bowman’s vets club record. In between them came the dynamic Rachael Browne and another in-form runner, Jill Miller who made her distance debut in an impressive 69:09. Hannah Coogan produced another top-quality effort following her heroics at Bosworth, the V40 runner recording a big new best of 72:41, backed up by the determined Kat Wilson, Jo Davies and Mandy Stain. 

There was still more to come as former V50 club record holder Judy Parkes battled back in 78:01, ahead of Averil Caton, the now-retired multiple marathoner Liz Peel and Alicia Gutheridge who all put good shifts in. Clare Whetton and Sarah Vine crossed the line together in 86:20 with Fiona Reidy, Gemma Spencer (1:41:46 – PB), Kate Rathbone and Sara Hawkins all doing their very best to make it a top day for the North Warwickshire-based outfit. 

In other races, the two Vicki’s, Brunsdon and Jennings were in action at the Chester half marathon recording times of 2:53 apiece running together and at the Birmingham Running Festival, new recruit Jack Burton-Peet set a new 10K personal best with a wonderful time of 46:14. 

The club’s focus turns next to the Swithland 6 league race in a fortnight’s time, a traditionally warm affair with some beautiful surroundings. Even news that the notoriously tokenistic race memento has been withdrawn to keep costs to a minimum has not dampened the spirits of the Badgers squad who boast around 60 of the sell-out 800 strong field.