Week Ending - 2021/08/29

LEESA LOVING LIFE AT SOUTHPORT

Badgers star Leesa Dennis’s rise through the running ranks has been nothing short of remarkable. Since joining the club several years ago on the much-vaunted Beginners programme, she clocked up her first 5K after that 12-week course, and now, some years on, she has represented the club over 40 times at league events, completed her first-ever marathon (in 2019) and successfully took her Run Leader badge to go alongside her current role as Membership Secretary. In addition, she has done over 130 parkrun events up and down the country, making her achievement at Southport on Saturday all the more impressive, as she stopped the clock on 26:00, a new personal best time, a quite magnificent achievement given the volume of times she had to beat to get there. Supportive partner Merv Jones was also in action running 24:28, another decent effort.

It was pretty much all parkrun for the club this week save for a personal best for Russell Lomas at the Spitfire 10K at RAF Cosford (54:46) and appearances in the unofficial Buxton Half Marathon for Andy Smith and Holly McClay. As ever, Kingsbury Water Park saw the largest Badgers contingent with some 24 members getting involved. Speed machine Danny Warren is in the process of working his way back to his pacy best and finished here in third spot with a time of 18:10, Aaron Chetwynd likewise in 7th place a minute behind. Mark Repton was the third Badger in the top ten with his brisk 19:13 a place behind Chetwynd. Bill Gutheridge, Neil Thorne, David Craig, Wayne Repton, Pete Coogan and Lee Talbot all starred as did newcomer Nick Miles.

The rapid Rachael Shelton was first lady back in 26:18 with Matt’s Jackson and Green following through ahead of John Devenney, Jill Miller and Andy Smith. Caroline Smith celebrated her 100th parkrun with a time of 28:27 with Dave Bailey just behind in a quality 28:53. Other runners included Stephanie Attenborough, Sharon Jackson, Amanda Gould, Peter Black, Teresa Satchell and Steve Perry.

Janet Crumpton is in top form right now and her graft was rewarded with a high placing at Bedworth, the amiable veteran coming home in 7th position with Karen Draper and Anne-Marie Dittman also featuring. Key-man Glyn Broadhurst sped round the Banbury course in 18:26 to bag third place with Nicki Bowman arriving ten minutes later, as was very often the case in days gone by. Holly McClay and the other Andy Smith, yes, Badgers have two of them, ran at South Manchester, David Grant turned out at Coventry and Gail Gunn as far afield as Holkham.

Elsewhere, there was joy in the air at Walsall Arborectum as Dave Jackson bravely went sub 20 yet again to emerge first Badger back in 19:23. Adam McElhone and Dug Ladkin ran Conkers with Liz Peel in action at Poolbrook. New boy Austen Puleston turned out at Cannock Chase while down the road at Chasewater, Jo Hardy ran a tidy 26:00. Ian Orton shifted round Groe parkrun in Wales in a respectable 22:40 and Carl Savage made the top ten for the first time with his 20:41 at Chipping Norton. Last but not least, Babbs Mill near Chelmsley Wood saw a Badger train steam home with four runners filling places 10, 11, 12 and 14. Colin Lees was first of the four in 22:56 with Baggie boy Lee Millership 20 seconds behind. Veteran ace Mick Bailey was five seconds adrift in 23:21 with Paul Wallace, now on an 800-day run streak crossing the line in 23:37, an excellent effort from four evenly matched athletes.