Week Ending - 2025/01/04

WARREN WINS WOLF MOON HALF

Badgers' all-time great Danny Warren took the first race win in 2026 for the club as he swept to victory in the Wolf Moon trail half-marathon in the Peak District at the weekend. The in-form Baddesley man made all the running in the thirteen-mile out-and-back course and was looking nailed on for the win. However, a concerted effort from second-place Andrew Powers, allied to a touch of complacency from Warren, saw him caught with several miles still to go. Fortunately, this served only to galvanise the Badgers man into action, who consequently put his foot down and established a healthy gap over his rivals once more, which he held to the finish. Crossing the line a minute later in a superb 1:27 was his teammate Adrian Payne, who made it a double podium for the former near neighbours. The pair go into 2026 in great shape, running some of the best times of their careers despite being or rapidly approaching forty.

Earlier in the week, the Huncote Hash cross-country race attracted 17 Badgers, who were led home by former skipper Ryan Preece. The 29-year-old was only drafted in to lower the average age of the side from 50 to 48 and despite a recent shortage of hill training, the speedy intellectual bagged 8th place in 39:49. Adi Payne was 13 seconds behind him to once again make the top ten and rising star Will Pickering produced a quality run to finish in 40:33. Veterans Mark Cox and Jim Cottom were both safely home in side the top 50 and Emma Masser marked her return to the club with a fabulous run of 53:19 to lead the ladies contingent home, 17th in the race.

Colin Lees won the battle of the Badgers' 59-year-olds with a 17-minute advantage over his only rival Eamon Thawley. Nivette Chester and Stephanie White ran well enough to both break the hour mark, with Rachel Crump and Mark Reynolds also performing well in 64 minutes apiece. 

Jill Miller, Stefan Martin, Sara Wilson, and Wayne Fraser ran as a collective before Ultra marathon ace Mark Cordiner wrapped up affairs, helping the aforementioned Thawley cross the line on a cold and bitter day. 

In the St Albans 10K, Maggi Savin-Baden chalked up yet another Silver Standard with her excellent 59:02 and in the Leicestershire County Cross Country Championships near Rotherby, Mia Cox placed a brilliant 8th in 16:39 with Dad Mark making 12th Master in the senior competition (39:15). Jimmy Dewis was also in action, rolling back the years with a vintage display. 

There was a double parkrun fix for those wanting one, with New Year’s Day hosting a number of events, ironically more than on the regular Saturday, given the swathe of weather-induced cancellations across the Midlands. Mark Repton became the latest Badger to reach the magnificent milestone of 250 parkruns with his ninth-place effort at Conkers in 20:19. Maggi Savin-Baden made it to 150 with her run at Daventry on New Year's Day. Dan Ash ran a cracking new personal best at Tamworth with a rapid 21:19, and there were top ten finishes there for Chris Horton, Will Pickering and Dave Jackson. Megan Griffiths ran her quickest parkrun for over a year with a brisk 21:43 at Alexandra parkrun. Luke Neal made the top ten at Rugby, and Dave Purvis ran a season’s best at Cranbrook Country Park. 

On Saturday, there were top ten finishes for Glyn Broadhurst (second at Knowsley) and Meg Griffiths. Sam Starkey travelled to Rosliston to make tenth, and Chris Horton finished second at Market Bosworth. At Hove in Sussex, Serena Baker was one of over 1100 finishers in a bumper event that had people queuing for some time afterwards for their post-event barcodes.