Week Ending - 2025/02/23
CHERYL BOWS OUT IN STYLE
Badgers ace Cheryl Dewis rounded off her cross-country career with a typically gritty run at the penultimate race of the 2024/5 season at Ravenstone on Sunday. With many of the team unavailable due to overseas commitments, Dewis answered beleaguered captain Megan Griffiths’s clarion call to help round out the title chasing ladies side and the speedy Stockingford barber delivered the goods yet again as she closed the book on cross country races after a distinguished decade of quality running. The team currently sit in third, but just one point off leaders Birstall and level with Barrow, who dropped like a stone at the prior race.
Dewis is one of only five Badgers to have won an individual category in the Leicestershire Road Running League, and it was perhaps fitting that in her club cross country debut, she finished in 49th place, which is coincidentally where she finished at Ravenstone, the former 49-year-old coming full circle, it would seem. Ahead of her in the ladies scorers were the in-form Megan Griffiths, who forced her way into the top 20 with a gutsy effort and a rejuvenated Rachael Browne, who ran a sensational race to finish 23rd. Jane Barrett has been a consistent performer this season, and this continued as she crossed the line two places ahead of her retiring teammate. Veterans Steph White and Charlotte Oliver provided more than capable backup.
The men have endured a rare tough season, and it was veteran in waiting Mark Cox, now 40, who led home a team of over 40s around the flat and fast Ravenstone circuit. The Stoke Golding ultra runner finished in 24th spot, a place ahead of key man Glyn Broadhurst in his 90th league appearance for the club. Jimmy Dewis marked a half century of representative races for his club with a vintage display in 55th position with rising star Jim Cottom and the giant striding good guy Matt Green also adding their weight to the Badgers ranks. Bill Gutheridge has been grafting extra hard of late, and it was therefore no surprise to see him feature in the scoring eight while the experienced David Craig and fellow veteran Simon Payne both made the points for the first time this season. Martin Graham, uncle of GB star Ellis Cross, Andy Altoft and the only Badger to have amassed over 50 XC appearances, Eamon Thawley, made up a slightly depleted squad but still big enough to avoid any scoring gaps, a credit to the motivation of the captain, Griffiths.
The Malta marathon and half marathon took place at the weekend, which drew several club members away from the muddy action, and it was the industrious Carl Savage who ran a superb 3:27:59 in the marathon after a busy build up. Chris Young led the way in the half distance, the Villa fan clocking an excellent 95:47 in the race which starts in the historic city of Mdina, winding its way to the coastal resort of Sliema. Ashley Taylor was next back in 96:22 before Rachel Crump ran 1:40:01, a great if rather agonizing time! Colin Lees followed the irrepressible Crump over the line 35 seconds later with Victoria Jones going well in 1:52, Suzy Farrell running 1:57:09, Nick Miles 2:04:34 and a Malta marathon veteran Liz Peel 2:27:36. Karen Thompson was also in action, pacing her daughter and in Seville, Spain, Wayne Fraser ran the marathon there in 4:37.
Dave Purvis broke 45 minutes for 10K for the very first time with his fine 44:58 in the Cancer Research Winter Run in central London. Matt Smith clocked an excellent 2:13:27 at the Leicestershire Half marathon, and Steph White was in action at the Cannock Chase-based Dirty Dozen 12K trail race.
Parkrun saw some action, too, and there was glee at Jubilee near Spennymoor, with Megan Griffiths beginning a great weekend for her with a win in 23:24 and an alphabet completion. There was glee too for “Gee” aka Glyn Broadhurst who completed his second parkrun alphabet with his brisk 8th place run of 20:29. Sam Starkey recorded a rapid 19:01 to take second in Copenhagen but the quickest Badger of the morning was Chris Horton who sped home in 17:11 at Babbs Mill to take his ninth consecutive parkrun victory and remain unbeaten in 2025. Krystal Knight helped herself to a fine PB time of 27:56 at Kingsbury, where Brian Pinker finished 8th overall. Luke Bennett also finished 8th at Bedworth, and there were top ten finishes also for Rachael Browne and Jim Cottom at Beacon Hill, the returning Beth Woodward at Tamworth Castle and Adrian Parkes, who came 9th at Brunswick Park. Last but not least, Merv Jones recorded his 250th parkrun event at Ilchester Country Park to round up a good weekend at Badgers.