Week Ending - 2025/08/24

BARRETT BACK IN THE BADGERS GROOVE

Club legend and honorary lifetime member Martyn Barrett was back in action recently with a fabulous run in the Escrick 10K. The 67-year-old was one of the four original Badgers when the club formed in Baddesley almost 14 years ago and was a standard setter for several seasons, still holding a number of V60 club records to this day. 

Now resident in Yorkshire, the one-time Mayor of Upper Grendon now enjoys his retirement as a busy Grandfather as well as the title of Baron Bubwith. His time of 49:00 over the off-road course was a top-class effort from the first Badger ever to break into the 80% wava category for his running performances; only a very small number have joined him in this regard subsequently. His time was good enough for a place in the top 150, and he finished 15th in his age group.

At the Lee Valley Velo Park, Maggi Savin-Baden chased down her one-mile silver standard time with a gutsy effort at the one-lap bike park. Smooth cornering may have helped the genial baking boffin’s cause, but half a dozen short, sharp, ups and downs most certainly did not. That said, her time of 8:21 was a sterling effort nonetheless. 

There was the usual smattering of parkrun action too over the weekend, with the highest placed finishers being Dave Jackson (19:10) and Mark Cox (18:44), who both finished second at Kingsbury and Market Bosworth respectively. Mia Cox was one of the best placed ladies with her excellent 25:27 for 6th place at Las Debinski in Poland. Also featuring overseas were Meg Griffiths and Glyn Broadhurst at Zuiderpark, Den Haag. Meg ran 23:03 for fourth lady and Glyn 19:01 for seventh overall and nine seconds quicker than the pugnacious Jackson. Adrian Payne took 3rd place at Kingsbury while Oaklands saw success on a number of fronts with Matt Green finishing 7th in 20:16, Jane Barrett 5th lady (24:14) with Lil Souter recording her fastest time in three years and former sub 16 star Terry Taylor running a parkrun PB of 24:21. Lily Wilson ran a terrific 26:15 at Bedworth, just a second shy of her very best. Suzy Farrell dipped inside 25 minutes for a top ten slot at Tamworth while Rachael Browne took 4th at Philips Park, Manchester in 24:01.