Week Ending - 2024/11/03

BADGERS GO BIG AT LRRL AWARDS NIGHT

A successful 2024 season was wrapped up at Leicester’s De Montfort University last week as Badgers dominated the silverware on offer at the annual Leicestershire Road Running League’s presentation evening. There was a fifth consecutive title for the men’s team, spearheaded by the pacy Matt Scarsbrook and the vet men’s side also reclaimed the title they last won in 2019. The men’s B team were comprehensive winners of their league, beating off twenty-seven other clubs to take the title and while the Badgers women narrowly missed promotion to the topflight, their much-improved side was able to lend considerable weight to the club’s mixed team. Bolstered by the likes of speedy new signings Eleanor Fowler, Lucy Marchi and Sara Wilson, they finished third overall in the top division and with co-captain Liberty Underhill now back from injury after missing most of the campaign through injury, the future looks very promising for 2025.

Individually, the club had one outright winner in the shape of Chris Horton in the V45 male category. In his last season before moving up to V50, the ever-present speedster won a Badgers record setting ninth individual honour in the LRRL. His teammate Neil Russell has been neck and neck with Horton in the second half of the season and he picked up a thoroughly well-earned second place in a hugely competitive bracket. Matt Scarsbrook followed up his magnificent Spring league win with a second place in the Summer league and one-time sub-three marathoner Peter Greenfield marked his first full season with the club at the age of 77 with a fabulous 2nd place in the V75 category, a terrific achievement in a running career that is longer than most people’s lifetimes within the club.

On the racing front, there were only three Badgers in action outside of parkrun, but they all enjoyed significant success. Firstly, Chris Horton took on and won the 5K at the Leicestershire Running Festival at Prestwold and despite being sent the wrong way shortly after the start. However, the 49-year-old regained his composure and rejoined the race to streak away from the field crossing the line in 16:28, an improvement on his own vets club record set five years earlier by 28 seconds and 24 seconds ahead of his closest challenger. 

Wayne Repton was also in action but in the 10-mile event at Prestwold. The in-form veteran stormed home in 70:53 to earn himself a four-minute personal best in what has easily been his best season to date. 

Last but not least was club founder Nivette Chester who took on the challenging Wooler Trail Marathon in Northumberland and not only finished seventh female thanks to her time of 6:42:03 but won her age category also in the process, a great effort. 

At Oaklands parkrun, Chris Tweed added his name to the list of Badgers to have finished first at a parkrun. His time of 18:44 was too good for everyone else on the day, including Bill Gutheridge who put in a decent shift in sixth place with his 20:47. Megan Griffiths was the club’s sole female winner with her outstanding run at Zielony Jar in Poland, joining the legendary Maggi Savin-Baden as overseas parkrun female winners. Her 23:30 was one of her very best times on the continent. Glyn Broadhurst almost made it a rare Badgers double, but he was edged out of top spot, his 19:11 still good enough for second place. 

Also in second was Adrian Payne who travelled to Holbrooks in Coventry, clocking 18:41, the fastest Badger time of the weekend. Mark Cox took third at Bedworth in 18:50 with a fine run that saw Mark Jarvis and Chris Young also make the top ten. Jane Barrett ran well to make the top ten at Kingsbury Water Park and Mark Repton took eighth place at Tamworth in 20:06.