Week Ending - 2025/10/05

GOOD LORD! EAMON MAKES A

SPLASH AT THE DOVEDALE DASH

Badgers’ most capped cross-country star of all time, Eamon Thawley was one of several members in action at the weekend in the annual Dovedale Dash fell race. The Grendon based veteran ace loves an off-road event and was in his element at the beautiful Peak District based course crossing the line in a commendable 56:26. The 4.7 mile route took in some exceptional sights, few as impressive as the experienced Thawley powering his way across the finish line in good time. Behind him came the venerable trio of former Chairperson Karen Thompson and former club Secretaries Liz Peel and Serena Baker, getting done in 63:10. Megan Church made a welcome return to action after an illness enforced absence to finish in 66:11.

Old stager Jimmy Dewis was first Badger back in a brisk 39:01 with Colin Lees and Stefan Martin both going well in 44 minutes. Jill Miller and a returning Rachel Crump both battled hard in just under 56 minutes to wrap up a good morning for the club in the Peaks.

Danny Warren was performing well again off road, this time at the 10 mile Charnwood Challenge. The fleet footed Dad of two took a fine second place with his rapid time of 71:55, earning himself a prize of his own body weight in jam. At the Petzl Coombe Abbey Night Trail 10K, Colin Lees reached a career high placing of 13th with his swift effort of 50:19 while Liz Peel was another to double up by successfully taking on the 16 mile Kingfisher Challenge in 3:22 to bag her 76th half marathon race. 

Mark Repton put in a quality shift at the road based Alcester 10K, the veteran star of every global major marathon clocked an impressive 39:33. Chester saw Suzy Farrell take on the marathon distance for the first time and emerged successfully with a fine time of 4:50:37 and enormous pride in the process. Anna Savin-Baden ran the metric marathon of 26.2K in a time of 3:21:52 while brother Zac completed the marathon proper in four hours. Anne-Marie Matthews took a huge chunk of time off her Cardiff Half course best, getting home in 2:40. In the Young Athletes National Road Relays in Sutton Park, Mia Cox ran superbly well to clock 17:01 for her leg on a proper blustery day. 

At parkrun, Mark Reynolds turned in an excellent display as he sped to a PB of 23:20, a staggering achievement for someone in their late fifties. Yvonne Faulkner-Grant and Rcahael Browne were 7th and 4th at Houghton Hall and Babbs Mill respectively while Mark Cox took 3rd at Tamworth. The high winds of Storm Amy put paid to many parkrun events but Holbrooks went ahead and was dominated by Badger buddies Adrian Payne and Ryan Preece, who finished first and second at the north Coventry venue.