Week Ending - 2024/01/07

MAGIC MILLER’S MOMENT OF HISTORY

Jill Miller became the 17th female Badger in the club’s 12-year existence to take first place at a parkrun with a sensational victory at a sodden Kingsbury Water Park at the weekend. Not only was her winning time strong enough to take almost a full minute out of second place, but she made ninth place in the event overall, another career best for the up-and-coming Badgers star. Mark Cordiner-Barton was the highest-placed male, taking 11th in 26:31.

Dave Hill was also in winning ways with a hugely dominant display at Shipley, storming home in 17:18 with teammate Glyn Broadhurst taking a plucky seventh in 20:13. Alice Belcher ran 26:03 to match her 5K personal best set at the fast Walsall Arboretum course. Megan Griffiths was in great shape as she took a superb second at the tricky Babbs Mill course in a brisk 23:26. Mark Cox took third at Bedworth with a speedy sub-twenty time and Stefan Martin was first Badger back at a boggy Bosworth. 

Adrian Parkes made it ten out of ten parkruns at Tamworth Castle, rendering him the only person to have run at each event held there this far, regardless of club. Kate Rathbone was on tour at a muddy Alnwick while Carl Ford set a new course best and came within six seconds of a personal best at a wet Kingsbury on New Year's Day. 

Away from parkrun, only the hunky Adrian Payne was in action on the racing front. The muscular electrical engineer is fond of his off-road events and tackled the self-navigating Cannock Chase Trigs Fell Race at the weekend, covering over sixteen miles of testing terrain, emerging back in a fine third-place finish. Another podium spot for Payne, to add to what is developing into a hugely impressive race CV, including a sub-three marathon and a crucial league title-winning 10-mile effort at Countesthorpe to name but two of a lengthy list of athletic triumphs, ladies.