Week Ending - 2024/12/08

SAVIN-BADEN SETS THE STANDARD

Storm Darragh put paid to the majority of parkruns over the weekend and crucially, for Badgers, the revised meeting of the Ravenstone cross country league race. With the club’s annual Christmas party taking place on Saturday evening, for many this became a blessing in disguise, as running vests were cast aside for smart corduroy slacks and posh frocks.

One race that did not fall foul of the filthy weather was the Sneyd Striders Pudding Run, a five and ten-mile option for runners who dare to take on the course in the depths of December. In the five-mile distance, Maggi Savin-Baden weighed in with a top-quality Gold standard time of 47:20, a great achievement in any conditions but to do so in the wind and rain of the storm was simply outstanding. Most clubs operate some kind of standard times award and Badgers is no different, challenging runners of every ability level to reach the maximum possible heights for their age and gender. To further contextualise, in the season-ending in August 2024, the phenomenal Megan Griffiths achieved the highest level of club standards for any female in the club with her superb Silver award. Here, the genial Savin-Baden cemented her fourth and penultimate time at the Gold level in what is shaping up to be another great season for the indefatigable Oxford University professor and mountaineer.

Wayne Repton has enjoyed something of a dalliance with the ten-mile event here as this was the third time he has taken on the event and the third ten-miler in the last two months. The blonde-haired veteran had to suck it up in what was his second race of the weekend, digging deep in the poor conditions to finish in 63:48. His parkrun time at Babbs Mill the day before was the fastest of the weekend from any Badger, his 24:18 standing out like a beacon in a relative sea of mediocrity for once. At Braunstone, it was Andy and Holly Smith, collectively known as team HollAnd, who flew the flag in a shade over 32 minutes each while in Holland, Vicky Jennings set the best time for an overseas parkrun at the weekend with her 34:32 at Kralingse Bos in Rotterdam.

The biggest turnout was at the rarely cancelled Conkers parkrun where five hardy souls turned it into something of a Badgers lovenest. The 5K route is particularly hardy, sheltered in most parts and elevated sufficiently to alleviate flood risk. With hedgerows and heathers lining the route of the disused railway line, now used as an out-and-back, there is beauty in its simplicity and natural splendour, making the course a firm favourite for locals and tourists alike. It was ladies captain Megan Griffiths who was fist back in 5th place overall thanks to her time of 24:30, alongside suave macho men Glyn Broadhurst and Adrian Payne. Smooth-talking Paul Cooper was next through, shaken but not stirred, reminiscent of a vintage Roger Moore in Octopussy era Bond, his time 28:58. Mark Reynolds completed the quintessential quintet six seconds later, Carolyn Hall did not run.