Week Ending - 2025/12/07

LIBERTY CREATES HISTORY

Speed queen Liberty Underhill was one of four Badgers who travelled down to London on Friday for the December instalment of the Ealing Mile race and emerged with a magnificent new club record for the distance. For many years, the female record stood at 7:01, and it was only recently lowered to 6:24 by Megan Griffiths in August of this year. However, the 24-year-old headed to the capital on a mission to run and run very fast at that. The one lap loop of Lammas Park in West London held no obstacles as Underhill powered her way round in a sensational 5:52, the first time in club history that a female has broken six minutes for the distance, and it set a new club best by 32 seconds. Only multiple world and UK age group record holder Clare Elms ran quicker as Underhill finished second female in the race, which was won by another Badger, Ryan Preece. 

In his first attempt at the distance, the Atherstone man beat off all and sundry with a dominant display of speed to win by ten seconds in 5:01, giving him his second race win in a seven-day period. His effort equalled Danny Warren’s senior male club record set way back eleven and a half years ago, comfortably the longest standing male record there still is at Badgers. 

Dave Jackson ran a lifetime best 5:20 in fourth place overall to earn himself a platinum plus standard time, and new signing Ellis Cahill ran a rapid 6:06 to finish a superb 12th place on the day. 

In the Cardington Cracker fell race in Shropshire, Danny Warren made the top ten in the nine-mile affair. It was hilly and wet and muddy underfoot, with misty conditions affecting visibility as well as blowing a massive gale. His time of 88:53 was outstanding in the conditions, and veteran aces Wayne Fraser and Dave Jenkinson both put in quality shifts to round up a good morning’s work for the Badgers here. Former Badgers Eleanor and Eric Fowler were also racing, as it's near to where they now live. Eleanor picked up 3rd lady overall, and Eric finished first V60.

Serena Baker, Liz Peel and Karen Thompson ran the Medal Madness Winter event in Heanor, completing four loops for a half-marathon distance. 

At parkrun, Mark Cox was the quickest Badger of the weekend as he sped round in 19:56 at a boggy Bosworth to take third place. Chris Tweed was the highest positional finisher as he finished second at Kingsbury by six seconds in 20:12. Rachael Browne was the fastest female, running 24:10 for third lady at Kingsbury, and there were top ten finishes for Jane Barrett, Sam Starkey, Suzy Farrell and Stephanie White. Last but not least, youngster Nessa Miller notched up her 50th parkrun, a wonderful achievement.