Week Ending - 2019/02/10

BADGERS LATEST #RUNANDTALK EVENT A GREAT SUCCESS

Bedworth parkrun welcomed a host of Badgers on Saturday morning as they celebrated the latest #runandtalk event at the 5K event around the Miners Welfare Park. Club runners and supporters alike were on hand on a particularly blustery morning and filled the cricket pavilion to capacity afterwards as they promoted the England Athletics initiative promoting the benefits of running on mental health.

With Badgers making up over 10% of the field, it perhaps came as no surprise that one of them emerged home as first place finisher, Chris Horton claiming his fourth victory at the venue as he remains undefeated in 2019. His time of 17:17 was also an all-time age-group course record as he was made to work hard all the way round by Grantham RC ace Chris Limmer. Badgers key man Glyn Broadhurst took a comfortable third place in 18:56 while Graham Engley ran an excellent 21:32 to also make the top ten. Colin Lees, Chris Upton, Merv Jones and Mr. Parkrun himself Richard Hill all made good progress while Jo Davies impressed as the first female Badger home in a speedy 25:46. Jenna Davies looked in great shape as she ran 26:56 while Paul Restall and the classy Gail Gunn both broke the half hour barrier. Other runners included Judy Parkes, Jared Karim, Paul Cooper, Peter Black, Karen Thompson, Teresa Buck, Dave Buck and Nicki Bowman. Sadly, men’s captain Adrian Payne failed to finish.

At Kingsbury Water Park, Dave Hill almost made it a club double only to be run out of the reckoning by just nine seconds by Peter Hackett. His time of 17:52 was still good enough to earn himself a huge personal best for 5K however. Sam Starkey came 5^th in 19:04, another top ten finish for him while Tim Gould and Matt Green did their best in windy conditions. Rachael Shelton was first lady back for the club and 5^th overall in 24:32. Other runners included Lee Millership, Matt Jackson, Ben Satchell, Sharon Jackson, Adam McElhone, Evie Whitehead, Terry Argyle, Glen Thomas and Amanda Gould. Rounding up the action were Nicola Stanley, Andrea Moss, Anne-Marie Dittman, Eileen and Lucy McElhone, Claire Fielding and Karen Draper.

On the road, there were plenty more top performances and high finishes, no further afield than Zillmere parkrun near Brisbane where Danny Warren battled serious heat to grab third in 20:15 and Rachael Warren took fourth lady in 26:42. Husband and wife Carl and Esther Holyoak both enjoyed respective top ten finishes at the Forest of Dean parkrun, Carl tenth man in 22:50 and Esther 4^th lady in 24:25. Marathon man Matt Tonks was in Minehead, Somerset for the morning and bagged a respectable 4^th place there in 19:50 while Chris Baxter found himself in Gloucester taking second place by just one second in 17:22 after a tight sprint finish.

Karen Missen featured at the new Isabel Trail parkrun while Eamon Thawley nobly braved the wind at the exposed Long Eaton circuit. John Hanson was in fine form again clocking 21:20 at Walsall while Anne-Marie Matthews clocked 36:18 at Littleport. Darryl Johnson led the way at Conkers with Katrina Dawson and Jason Husselbee-Orwin just behind while at Sutton Park, Cameron Barnes ran 22:46 ahead of family members Sam Klucis and Lisa Barnes who both got round without issue. Finally, Lil Souter ran 27:17 at Dishley near Loughborough.

Three Badger ladies enjoyed age category successes at the same meet on Sunday. Pocket rocket Monika Lampart sped round the Cannock Chase 10-mile course in 1:12:14 to take 5^th overall and a hugely impressive 1^st in the V35 bracket. In the 5-mile event at the same venue, Steph White (44:16) and Pip Weston (45:10) both took first places in their respective age categories while Eamon Thawley nobly trudged round bravely in the tough ten-mile race. In the midweek Leicester Winter Series 5K, Chris Baxter helped himself to a podium finish, running a rapid 17:07 to take third place in the final race of the series.

Draycote Water hosted their monthly 10K race and it was veteran ace John Hanson who put in yet another outstanding performance finishing in a superb 45:32, despite less than perfect conditions. John Devenney broke the hour mark in 58:39 with experienced kit guru Dave Bailey clocked 60:14 and the tricky course, notorious for it’s many short sharp ups and downs.

Athletic academic Liz Peel made it marathon number 53 in the Shrewsbury based Charles Darwin Day Marathon. Yvonne Faulkner clocked up 6 laps of the Big Bear Ryton Pools challenge covering a whopping 19.8 miles while Andy Smith entered the Bradwell winter half fell race along with Holly Matts and emerged unscathed and exhilarated from the stunning scenery on show.

Finally, long-serving Dan Welch, a regular face on the club’s beginner’s course was brave, maybe a little too brave on Saturday, as he aimed to tackle the Birmingham Winter Warmer 10K. Thankfully, he completed the course in 74:34 minutes.