Week Ending - 2025/05/31

MATT’S BEST SEND AT WEST END

Badgers flying machine Matt Scarsbrook continued his dominance of the Leicestershire Road Running League at the weekend with his fourth win in the four races he has contested so far in 2026, this time at the West End 8 race. Only a knee injury in the lead-up to the season opener at Desford has stopped him from getting a 100% record in the 12-race series so far, where he is looking to defend the title he won back in 2025. Once again, the Baddesley man exploded away from the field on a humid morning north of Leicester, pulling out a gap of 20 or so seconds after the frenetic but uphill opening mile. The course continued its upward trajectory up until just past halfway, not that this proved any hindrance to the pacy 29-year-old. Just after the biggest climb of all at the halfway stage, runners have a long gradual descent to the finish in Queniborough; however, conditions were made slightly more challenging with a headwind greeting the runners on the long way home. Scarsbrook crossed the line in 42:35, a full two minutes clear of his closest challenger in a race that saw 631 runners toe the start line. With the race being licensed by a different body to UK Athletics, performances set here do not qualify for club records. Scarsbrook ran well inside his 8-mile record and remarkably was one of seven athletes to do similarly on a day not perfectly suited to smashing times out of the park.

Next back for the club in 12th place was Chris Horton, who ran negative splits to finish in 46:38. He, too, was one second under his own V50 club record and bagged the Platinum county standard for the club in the race. It was his 92nd road league race for Badgers, a total bettered only by the next man through, Danny Warren. Between them, the two stalwarts have amassed an incredible 187 LRRL races since the club joined the league back in 2014. Warren clocked a respectable 47:35 on a tough day for him, still making the top twenty in a quality field. Skipper Glyn Broadhurst returned from injury and bagged a Gold standard with his 53:03, his fastest 8-mile time since turning 50. Rising star Lee Taylor was back in the points again with a solid run of 53:35, proving that his Watermead 10K heroics were no fluke. Chris Tweed, nursing an aggravated hamstring, cautiously made the top 100 in 55:03.

Gout Gout may be the big name on the athletics radar right now, but giant-striding Matt Green could have done without gout as he got about in 56:53, gritting his teeth through the discomfort and rounding out the scoring for the men’s vets team. Jimmy Dewis ran well on his return to league action, the multi-sports icon clocking 57:41 to show that class is very much permanent when it comes to sporting matters. Birthday boy Stefan Martin battled hard to cross the line in 58:54 with Michael Garrett, Wayne Repton and Dave Purvis (62:24 – PB) all going well in midfield. 

In-form Andy Altoft ran a four-minute PB in 63:40, yet another personal best in 2026, a year that is fast becoming his best yet. For many seasons, Rob Crow was the holder of the V50 club record for 8 miles and is widely regarded as a distance specialist by many in the club. Now in his mid-60s, the run-leading Blue-nose ran a top-class 63:39 for a silver standard while Ashley Taylor got the better of a fatigued Dave Jenkinson before Bill Gutheridge, Neil Rose, Adrian Parkes and Mark Reynolds sped back. Matt Smith and Terry Gillman-Taylor rounded up the action for the boys. 

The ladies fielded one of their strongest teams so far this season, and this was evidenced by the fact that FIVE athletes ran inside of a club record for the 8-mile distance. Skipper Megan Griffiths continued her excellent form, leading the way for her side with a fabulous 60:05, just sneaking into the top 20 women in a race won by the outstanding Claire Frankland of host club West End Runners. Susie Stringer ran a time five minutes inside of the existing V40 club record with a sizzling 62:24, a personal best time by getting on for two minutes as she led the vet ladies home in great style. 

The speedy Stacey Horner made a welcome return to the action and weighed in with a big performance to score for all three possible sides, ladies, vet ladies and mixed teams. Her 63:31 was another club record beating time, as was the 64:34 run by Emma Masser in 58th place. Masser is running her best times since joining the Badgers, and it is no surprise to see the ladies' team’s fortunes following the same trajectory as the Nuneaton-based speed machine’s form. And yes, she also ran a PB! 

Erica Bassford had a pretty good season last year in the U23 age bracket, but she has unquestionably blossomed in 2026, producing significantly faster times across a whole range of distances. This weekend saw her take her 8-mile time to task, lopping a whopping six minutes off her prior best and therefore collecting her 4th PB across the month of May, with her 64:56. In addition, the 65:13 run by the in-form Janey Barrett was yet another 8-mile time inside of the current V40 club record. Barrett is a runner who has worked consistently hard for some time now and is reaping the rewards by hitting best after best despite being nearer 50 than 40. 

And the hits just kept on coming as the pacy Kat Wilson ran an amazing 66:12 to become the seventh Badger of the day to run a time inside of an existing club record, itself being something of a record! Not only that, but her time was one of the biggest PB’s you are likely to see, as she took nine minutes off the time she set at the very same venue years ago. 

Joanne Crow ran another personal best, nine years after setting it here in 2017. Her time of 67:47 was not even close to her old mark, with almost two minutes' difference between the two times. What a season she is enjoying. Beth Woodward ran alongside Fiona Audley before Krystal Knight ran a five-minute PB in 74:32, a fabulous effort from a woman in fine form right now. The experienced Judy Parkes got on her bike and plundered a PB of 76:25. The third most capped female Badger of all time with 72 appearances, she surely would be number one if she hadn’t double and triple-booked herself so frequently. Still, a quite remarkable achievement given her modest start as a beginner Badger as a relatively inactive mum of two in her late forties. 

Bryany Sherwood ran yet another personal best, this time in 77:26 to go alongside the 53:36 she ran at Watermead Park for 10K eleven days earlier. Oh, and the small matter of a parkrun PB at Tamworth Castle the day before. We wager she cannot wait for the Swithland 6 now this Sunday! Sharon Jackson ran 77:53 before Lil Gillman-Taylor returned to Sunday morning league racing with a determined 81:47, and Vicki Brunsdon followed her home soon afterwards. 

Elsewhere, Jim Cottom (61:07) and Rachael Browne (71:19) ran the 8.5-mile Sutton Fun Run, which doesn’t sound like all that much fun given the length, gradient and temperatures! Still, they did it in their hometown and hope to be back for Swithland next week. At the Maverick Series in the Peak District, Ryan Preece, Adrian Payne and Dave Jenkinson completed the 28km distance on the Saturday, finishing 6th, 9th and 4th V50, respectively. Men’s vice-captain Jenkinson somehow found the energy to then turn out at West End 24 hours later!

At parkrun, action was more limited than usual given the impending league event. However, there were wins for the two top V50 athletes in the club, Glyn Broadhurst and Chris Horton. Between them, these Badgers colossuses have amassed 627 parkrun appearances, winning 112 of them overall, phenomenal stats. Broadhurst had to battle hard for his win at Kingsbury Water Park, seeing off a spirited challenge from Tom Newman to win by five seconds in 19:24. Horton had things slightly easier at a less busy Brunswick Park, taking a comfortable first place around the visiting fairground attractions in 18:21. There were top ten runs for Serena Baker at Oaklands, Suzy Farrell at Tamworth, Megan Griffiths and Stef Martin at Kingsbury and Mia Cox at Shrewsbury.