Week Ending - 2023/08/27

LANDMARK RECORDS SET FOR DYNAMIC DUO

In form Badgers Dave Hill and Liberty Underhill have had amazing summers so far and this week the pair continued their extraordinary successes with yet more club records. At the speedy Mid Cheshire 5K on Friday evening, Underhill became the first female in the club’s history to break 20 minutes for the distance, either on the road or at a parkrun. Her time of 19:57 caps what has been a wonderful season for the 21-year-old who has taken the club by storm with her hard work, positive attitude and ultimately, her results. Ahead of her in the field was Dave Hill who bagged his ninth club record of the season with a time of 15:33, taking some 44 seconds off Chris Baxter’s time set at the same event back in 2019. On Sunday, the Polesworth man took second place at the Mallory Park 10K in a particularly rapid 33:13 and between the two events, when most runners would be resting and/or basking in the glow of their exploits the night before, both Hill and Underhill appeared at the newly established Holbrooks parkrun taking first places each in 17:51 and 21:47 respectively, Hill’s time also incidentally setting a new overall course record. Jim Cottom took eighth place in 21:14, Megan Griffiths finished sixth and Rachael Browne eighth lady in the same event.   

At Aberystwyth, Sam Starkey clocked the second fastest run of all time by a Badger with his brisk 19:37 in seventh place, while Matt Smith ran a super new personal best of 29:33 at Lichfield. At Kingsbury Water Park, Ashley Taylor ran a course best in seventh place, a second ahead of the industrious Chris Tweed (20:15) while Hannah Mayes also made the top ten with her 25:23 – ninth female. 

Badgers also put their athletic skills to the test in a rounders exhibition fixture against Atherstone Ladies, coming out on top in two games. Megan Griffiths led her side to victory with the help of some long-serving key-men, currently on the long-term injury list, but quite adept at whacking it out of the park, much like back in their racing pomp. Glyn Broadhurst and his sidekick Dave Jackson both played pivotal roles in a side that also featured serial winners Dave Hill, Liberty Underhill, Rachel Crump, Emma Masser and Paul Cooper amongst others. 

In addition to all this action, there was the small matter of the club celebrating its 12th birthday with a big social event taking place at their new headquarters of Atherstone Sports Club. There were party games along with a raffle which was probably won by Dave Hill.

This week sees the club head off to Rotherby for the final race of the Leicestershire Road Running League season. The men’s team will be looking to leapfrog OWLS at the top of Division One to take a fourth successive title, making it the second ‘winner takes all’ encounter between the clubs in as many seasons. A handful of Badgers will be hoping to cement high finishes to aid their positions within the individual standings, Matt Scarsbrook is already guaranteed some silverware, irrespective of the outcome on Sunday, but he will want his team to triumph above all else, a prospect made all the more hopeful with him at the helm.