Week Ending - 2025/12/14

BACK-TO-BACK BRILLIANCE

For the second time in just over a week, Liberty Underhill has taken apart another women’s club record at Badgers as she blitzed her own parkrun best with a sensational display of speed at Tamworth Castle at the weekend. Her time of 19:56 was not only a one-second personal best but enabled her to make the top ten in the event regardless of gender. The previous parkrun club record, which is separated out from other 5K events, stood at 20:18, set by Underhill herself back in 2023 at the far quicker Walsall Arboretum course. And in addition, her 5K best of 19:57 was achieved at the rapid Mid-Cheshire race near Tarporley, which suggests she is now in the best form of her career to date. The Tamworth course is very flat but incorporates a number of twists and turns, making it imperfect for personal bests. Who knows where Underhill may end up in 2026 with this sort of form on a grey, damp twister in December? If her performance was quick, then second-placed Ryan Preece’s effort was sick, as the pacy ex-Captain sped round in 17:30 to take second place. 

Ladies captain Meg Griffiths was a first female finisher like Underhill, but this time at Perton Playing fields, close to Wolverhampton. Her time was a swift 24:09, while the new men’s skipper for 2026, Glyn Broadhurst, clocked a very respectable 20:51 as he finished sixth in the same event. Youthful brainbox Erica Bassford enjoyed a career high 7th with her effort at Sutton Park, while parkrun stalwarts Holly and Andy Smith notched up their 200th different parkrun venue as they turned out at the Black Rocks parkrun near Matlock Bath. Vicki Brunsdon managed her second PB in as many weeks in her run at Tamworth. 

Away from the parkrun action, Danny Warren finished a superb second in the Litton Christmas Cracker Fell Race in the Peak District. He took just under 48 minutes to cover the 6.3-mile course, packed with steep gradients and difficult terrain. His achievement now leaves him sitting in third place overall in the four-race series. 

Youngster Mia Cox had a brilliant run in the Leicestershire Schools Cross Country Championships, finishing in 9th place with a gutsy effort at Beauchamp College in Oadby. And former club Chairperson Karen Thompson dropped down from her typical marathon distance to cover the requisite 2.4-mile course in the 20th Lincoln Santa Fun Run, complete in a Santa suit with her canine companion also donning festive fancy dress!