Week Ending - 2020/12/20

BADGERS ANNUAL PRESENTATION EVENING 2020

Badgers held their annual awards evening recently to honour those within the club that have stood out over the course of the last season, a term of two very different halves with the initial period being very much as normal with races and events galore. This was followed by an enforced period of pause, punctuated by a number of socially distanced events and running taking place largely via a series of individual time trials. While club training was pretty much cancelled for much of 2020, sessions were available to carry out remotely and a number of Badgers used the time available to really take their running up a level. Team and solo competitions were held in house to run alongside other events such as the Leicestershire Road Running League lockdown league. The rules covering the club’s Standard Times awards were relaxed in order to enable runners to meet their target times with ratification on Strava rather through a licenced race which was now nigh on impossible.

With current guidelines prohibiting large numbers of people meeting up, club officials produced a home-made awards ceremony, beamed into people’s living rooms on the club’s YouTube channel. Contributors emailed their segments in from across the globe, as far away as the USA and southern Europe as well as a handful of more local efforts.

The club’s industrious publicity and marketing officer Chris Horton collected a number of awards, including the member’s voted Runner’s Badger award and Spirit of the Badger. His hard work in motivating the members via a series of events and competitions during the summer somewhat overshadowed his own athletic achievements as for the third year running, he reached the highest possible heights in the club’s standard times awards, a platinum plus (with distinction). In addition, he finished a very close second in the V45 category in the hugely competitive LRRL Lockdown League this summer and was topping his age group in the LRRL proper after two races before Covid forced the abandonment of the season. To top it all off, he also landed the coveted Badger of the Year award, becoming the first person to date to have won the award more than once.

In the league, the cross country and road leagues were both cut short but over the six races held, Dave McGowan deservedly won the outstanding performance trophy for the league leading men’s team with veteran Pip Weston doing the same for the ladies, after becoming the first female in club history to break a wava rating in excess of 75%. Carl Savage and Jo Hardy won the most improved runners while Mick Bailey won the inaugural Performance of the Year award after his record-breaking age category win at the Chester marathon last October.

For the third year running, the hugely industrious former website administrator and now chairperson, Danny Warren picked up the most committed Badger for yet another year of dedication, made harder in some ways not just by all the issues caused by Covid but dealing with becoming a father for the first time and all the sleepless nights that role brings!

Outgoing chair Karen Thompson bagged the Special Recognition award thanks to her tireless work over a number of years to help take the club forward to where it is today. Nicki Bowman has upped her game in recent years, going from a multi time winner of the now defunct Late Badger award, to taking home the prestigious Badger Role Model award in 2020. Well done Glyn.

Leesa Dennis was a popular winner of the Run Leader of the Year award and Louise Horton took Supporter of the Year with Evie Whitehead winning the Junior Badger prize. Here is a full list of all the awards and their winners along with a comprehensive run-down of all the Standard Times achieved over the course of the season.

Members Awards

Beginner BADGER - Sue Thould

Newcomer BADGER - Stephanie Attenborough

Junior BADGER - Evie Whitehead

Chatterbox BADGER - Clare Whetton

Humorous BADGER - Ann-Marie Currier

Supporter of the Year - Louise Horton

Best Legs - Joanne Hardy

Outstanding Performance - Mick Bailey at Chester Marathon

BADGER Role Model - Nicki Bowman

Spirit of the BADGER - Chris Horton

Run Leader of the Year - Leesa Dennis

Runners BADGER - Chris Horton

Measurable Awards

Mile Master - Mark Cox

Mile Mistress - Liz Peel

Captains

Combined XC & Road Male – Dave McGowan

Combined XC & Road Road Female - Pip Weston

BMG / Run Leader Awards

Most Committed BADGER - Danny Warren

Most Improved Male - Carl Savage

Most Improved Female - Joanne Hardy

BADGER of the Year - Chris Horton

Chairperson Award

Special Recognition - Karen Thompson

Standard Times Awards 2019/20

Steph Attenborough Copper+ Merit

Paul Grubb Bronze Merit

Holly McClay Bronze Merit

Andy Smith Bronze Merit

Ashley Taylor Bronze Merit

Wayne Repton Bronze Distinction

Cameron Barnes Bronze + Merit

Rob Boland Bronze + Merit

Kerry Clover Bronze+ Merit

Jo Davies Bronze+ Merit

Wayne Repton Bronze+ Merit

Lil Souter Bronze+ Merit

Alan Argyle Bronze+ Distinction

Judy Parkes Silver Merit

Maggi Savin-Baden Silver Merit

Alan Argyle Silver+ Merit

Rob Crow Silver+ Merit

Mark Repton Gold Distinction

Pip Weston Gold+ Merit

Chris Horton Platinum+ Distinction