Week Ending - 2025/03/15

HORTON WINS MARATHON IN THE WIND

Badgers star Chris Horton took his first ever win at the marathon this weekend with a gutsy effort at the Croft GP Motor Circuit in North Yorkshire, completing a sequence of career race victories now covering mile to marathon. The 51-year-old had been training since before Christmas, specifically for the event, which ended up being blighted by strong winds on a grim morning in the north of England. The cold and wet forecast deterred around one-third of the designated entrants from making it to the start line in the first place. The 26.2-mile course involved completing thirteen and a bit laps of the flat racetrack, which was particularly problematic on the long home straight, which repeatedly forced runners headfirst into 20mph winds. Horton took the lead after a quarter of a mile and proceeded to widen the gap from there on in. 

After splitting the first half in 80 minutes, the signs were more than positive for a personal best but the conditions were in no way helpful for chasing times as he soon discovered going into the final stages, the wind getting progressively stronger as runners became ever more fatigued, sapping the energy out of one and all. Horton crossed the line in 2:48:51, eleven minutes clear of second-place Cameron Baker, the only other athlete to break three hours on a very difficult day. In addition, he took over 35 minutes off his own V50 club record for the distance, set at London in 2025. 

Speaking after the race, the Badger said, “While it is fantastic to win a race, and at my age, there may not be many more opportunities to do so, I came here solely for a time that I did not achieve. I have no doubt whatsoever that the windy weather put paid to that, but I have mixed emotions, especially as I dragged my wife along on Mother’s Day to support in the cold and wet! My little lad got to see his Dad win, which is always nice, and they were both really pleased for me to have won. I just need to recover well now to give me the option of trying again in the coming weeks, hopefully in some better conditions.”

Closer to home, Badgers concluded their 2025/6 Derby Runner cross country league season with a tricky trip to Grace Dieu School near Thringstone. Another typically muddy course, this time with plenty of elevation, and it was the ladies' side who shone brightest on a day where several regular runners were absent, mainly pursuing winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding. 

On her 50th league appearance for the club, captain Megan Griffiths wrapped up another strong season before she heads into the vets category with a fine 14th-place finish, just ahead of leading veteran athlete Emma Masser, who powered her way into the top 20 yet again. Janey Barrett and the impressive Kat Wilson both put in quality performances to ensure the entirety of the ladies' scorers all finished within the top 50, a great achievement. Strong back-up came from the likes of Hannah Burgess and vice-captain Sharon Jackson who, like her skipper, was marking her 50th league appearance for the club too. 

For the very first time in his long Badgers career, the men were led home by stalwart captain Glyn Broadhurst, who crossed the line in 32nd place. The 100-cap, sub-three marathoner turns fifty next month but is still able to mix it with the best, both on-road and off it. Jim Cottom and Matt Green were next back, both inside the top 100, the latter being slowed down somewhat by the unfamiliarity of his racing shorts, loaned for the morning by a kindly Wigston Phoenix runner! David Craig, Mark Reynolds and Marc Corbett all offered solid runs before Ashley Taylor made a welcome return to point-scoring action and veteran Matt Smith made his debut in the scoring eight since joining Badgers on a free transfer a few years ago. Behind him, Paul Cooper and Eamon Thawley both got round safely.  

At parkrun, only five runners made the top ten: Jim Cottom (10th male at Sutton), Mark Repton (10th at Tamworth), Megan Griffiths (7th at Nottingham) and Maggi Savin-Baden (8th at Padersee, Germany), which sees the globe-trotting flan-making academic notch up her 13th different parkrun country. The stand-out performance however, was undoubetedly that of Jack Burton-Peet, who is back in the big time after a quiet second half of 2025. At Tamworth Castle, he strode to a superb new PB of 18:34, his first time under 19 minutes and with it a magnificent second place behind the outstanding Max Kent of Tamworth AC, a stunning result.