Feedback from the clubs and others: Welsh Castles Relay

Dear Alan
just to let you know that i am recovering well from the unfortunate accident a week ago, shrewsbury hospital looked after me for a few days and were excellent, i can recommend them however not the porridge!!
the next step is a visit to the bristol royal infirmiry tomorrrow for three days to sort out the fracture to the cheekbone, then hopefully a green light for recuperation and a return to the sport we all love. may i say thankyou very much to the people on the road side who looked after me and the countless messages of support and best wishes, i have received.
i’m already looking forward to next year, but this time completing the weekend!!
kind regards
Clive Richards
clevedon ac

Dear Alan,
On behalf of the runners and supporters from Clevedon AC I send our sincere thanks to yourself, Richard and your team for another excellent “Castles” and the weather was the icing on the cake!
I know most people are aware of the incident we had on Stage 8 when one of our team who had competed on an earlier stage was supporting our runner and was hit by a motorcycle. Miraculously an off-duty paramedic was passing at the time and gave immediate assistance, which was further helped by the swift response from your Red Cross team as i rang the emergency services.
Clive was taken to hospital by ambulance as he had received a head injury and broken his cheek bone. He was kept in over night for observation and was feeling somewhat better when I spoke to him by phone last night.
A member of our team is a senior police officer and he dealt with the emergency services at the scene.
It was a very unfortunate accident and the motor cyclist was in no way at fault. The police visited Clive in hospital and have concluded that the incident was a pure accident. On this note i would be grateful if you could pass on our thanks to your Red Cross personnel for their prompt assistance and administration.
The result of a team-talk on Saturday night decided we should continue on Sunday, knowing that Clive was OK and we have certainly learnt a lesson to be more vigilant when giving support on individual stages - a message now conveyed to all.
The close camaraderie and true spirit of the “The Castles” allowed us to take our overnight position of 5th place, to 3rd place at Cardiff following 2 Stage wins and further determined efforts on our Sunday stages.
The atmosphere and overall support produced at the Castles cannot be replicated anywhere else and I praise all the competing Clubs for their part in this; waking up to a sunny start for Day 2 at Newtown even compensates for a mere 4 hours sleep!
Congratulations on a truly fantastic event yet again and we look forward to celebrating the 25th Anniversary with you next year.
Kind regards,
Andy Heyes
Chairman - Clevedon AC

Many thanks for a great weekend.
Although we didn’t field a full team, everyone concerned had a great time.
Myself and Lizzie always do though, enjoyed leg 9, as we ended up in the pub again ! with Air products for an hour, deciding what legs we are going to do next year.
Please pass on our thanks to every one concerned.
Lizzie and I marshalled on leg 1 at 7.3 mile point, can I just say, it would have been better with 3 marshalls there, mainly when the front runners came through, Also we didn’t have the key to open the large gate, they had to go through the smaller gate, although no one complained as we told them before they got to it.
Just thought I would let you know.
Many thanks again, and look forward to seeing you soon.
Kate Haley

Dear Alan
Eastleigh Running Club would like to pass on its appreciation and congratulations to everybody involved with Les Croupiers Running Club for yet again laying on a well organised and outstanding event.
Everybody at Eastleigh who participated in each of the race legs and our supporters had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed the cameraderie with the other clubs. We are looking forward to next years event already but take a well earned rest first.
Best Wishes
Duncan Page
Webmaster Eastleigh Running Club

Alan, Richard
Can I give you thanks from all of the NetRegs Environment Agency team for another fantastic event. Well done to you and all at Les Croupiers involved in organising.
We marshalled on stage 17 as usual, and put on two extra marshals as we knew that one of the points in Merthyr was very hazardous. However, my marshalls were still very concerned. See attached email and map explaining the problem, and proposing a solution.
Regards
Chris Booth
Team Captain

All,
I can only echo the thanks to ALL involved in what is rapidly becoming the highlight of the running year for many of our clubs runners. The camaraderie and spirit of togetherness over the weekend - together with the fierce rivalry ? makes for what is a unique running experience. This was of course made all the sweeter by exceptional performances by our Ladies in winning the event, and yet another improved overall position for our Men.
Thanks must go to all who poured, threw, squirted, sponged and generally soaked water into our runners along those hot and dusty miles. The organisation by LCRC was as ever remarkable and we hope that the road traffic incidents do nothing to spoil the continuation of the event in its current form.
One last word?. Our Ladies have already spotted the rallying call and gauntlet thrown down by the good folk of Serpentine?. We?ll be ready?. ? till next year;)
Gareth Hardman
Winchester & District Athletic Club
What a stunning country. I can’t imagine how much work goes in to organising it. Great weekend. Hope injured spectator/spectators is/are ok
Martin Bates
Leg 19 for Wesham Road Runners

Thank you to your entire club for another faultless excursion in the sun.
The commitment of everyone to make this event the “Friendly” Relays continues to make this for me, and all of the Poole Runners the “can’t miss” event of the year.
I wish also to pass on my best wishes to every team that took part for the camaraderie and unstinting generosity throughout the whole weekend with water and support.
Can’t wait for ‘07 and the 25th Anniversary. BRING IT ON.
Alan Lewis
Poole Runners Honouree Castles Captain

Richard and Alan,
Many, many thanks to you and your teams of helpers for the faultless, smooth running of the race this year. Despite the torrid conditions all our team (and supporters) thoroughly enjoyed the weekend though we finished a little further down the results than we had hoped. However, our first ever “stage winner sweatshirt” boosted us all. As last year we greatly appreciated the assistance and banter from the other teams and were pleased to see Winchester ladies (the only other Hampshire club) do so well. We hope to be back next year for the 25th event if you will have us!
Sara Rhimes EASTLEIGH RUNNING CLUB

Dear Alan,
Thanks to Les Croupiers for providing such a fantastically well organised weekend of running.
It has been noted that in recent years it seems to be increasingly within the power of LCRC to provide excellent weather as well, or perhaps that is the global warming ...
A special thank you to the people from the Air Products minibus who extricated my colleague’s car from a ditch between Drovers Arms and Brecon, with a combination of teamwork, clear thinking and brute force, not to mention a huge log from a nearby hedgerow. It’s the best use I’ve seen put to a large piece of dead wood since the days of the Trojan Horse (and believe me, I was there!)
See every one next year
Richard Rogan
Cheltenham Harriers

Alan,
Many thanks again on a super weekend, and congratulations to the hosts on winning the prizes for both open and veterans teams. Eight of our winning open team from last year were at a stag weekend in Scotland so we were pleased to get 39 Thames Hare & Hounds runners out. After a number of injuries to veterans, we mobilised all our reserves and had no open team runner on stage 13. Alas our oldest and youngest runners both dropped out in the heat on Saturday so our open team was some way behind Les Croupiers this year.
Section 3.3 of The Castles Reference Book states that marshals must not leave before the last runner.
The notes with the race rules state that each team is responsible for getting runners to a changeover point on time and for picking up spent runners. Many teams use minibuses to support their runners. We carefully shadowed and shepherded those we thought most needed support, and were very pleased that our former club president completed leg 12 within the cut-off time.
Legs 18-20 run through built up areas, cross from one OS 1:50,000 sheet to another, and use cycle trails so the race is not so easy to follow in a back-up vehicle. Also, supporters and officials want to get to Cardiff for the finish. On leg 18, our veteran says the marshals had gone before he reached the turn off the A4054 so he missed the turn and ran further than he should have. On leg 19, we had a husband and wife team who had both completed a 100km race 2 weeks earlier, so we had no doubt in their ability to finish the course. We were pleased that Matt Lynas won that stage. Wendy Lynas is slower but is our chief pioneer so a good navigator. She was disappointed to be pulled out of the race after 4 miles. We did not have a support vehicle trailing her but had club members at Caerphilly. I had gone ahead to Cardiff with the shield from our winning open team from last year.
Please thank the marshals for bringing Wendy to Caerphilly.
Peter Blair-Fish
Team 55 Manager - Thames Hare & Hounds Veterans.

Dear Alan and Richard,
I’d like to add my thanks to those of other captains, whose emails I’ve seen today, for a fantastic weekend, as always. Although the Stragglers are long standing supporters of the event, we had in our team 8 newcomers. All of them said what an excellent event it was.
We look forward to next year - if selected!
Final point: if either of you has the provisional results to hand,could you email me the final team position of the Stragglers? I know they will still be unofficial at this stage, but there’s a lot of interest. We saw the results at Cardiff after leg 18 but haven’t seen 19 or 20.
Many thanks
Andrew Lane
Stragglers

Dear Richard/Alan,
An incident occurred between a member of my YMCA Team and a marshal at the start of the leg over the parking of his car on the course. I deeply regret that my runner verbally abused the female marshal with foul language.
As Team Manager and Vice Captain of the Club, please accept my apologies for the idiotic behaviour shown by my runner. I do know the incident was mentioned at the start of a subsequent leg, much to the embarrassment of us all. After such a great weekend, it saddens myself to know one of our own members has let myself/the Team down very badly. Needless to say it will be dealt with internally at our next Comm meeting.
Our Club is over 120 years old and in my 28 years of membership i cannot recall an episode like this, so once again please pass my apologies onto the lady concerned.
kind regards
Steve
(Vice Captain, Manchester YMCA Harriers)

Stephen R Ingham.

Hi Alan
Firstly may I congratulate you on an absolutely brilliant event and it was a shame about Saturday’s accident, which from what I can gather was a spectator not looking what he was doing.
However I thoroughly enjoyed 99% of the weekend which, was again blessed with good weather. Unfortunately, that is where the other 1% comes in - the actual running of my leg as it was too hot. I guess there’s not a lot you can do about that except, as you did, provide lots of water stations/sponges etc
However, the reason for my e-mail is to complain about one idiot on my leg. He ran the lower main road against the traffic on the right hand side (i.e. in the road itself) where about half way along there is a sharp right hand bend which two cars came round which had absolutely no chance of seeing him and there could have been an accident or anything could have happened.
I noticed that he made sure he crossed the road before the marshall’s had chance to see him.
I think his club ought to be told what an absolute idiot they have in their ranks, because there was no need for it. Everybody else ran on the left hand pavement and it wasn’t as if he gained an advantage.
His number was 13.
I don’t like doing this but I feel that it’s people like him who could spoil it for everybody else.
Cheers
Peter Cooke
Wesham Road Runners

Guys,
Again - as with the previous years we have been involved - our thanks to you and all the “Les Croups” guys and gals who made the weekend incredible for us all. We only had to get 40 runners organised - you had 1000’s.... a remarkable feat indeed! Less sun and heat next year though please - if you could sort that? :)
The entire Winchester team - runners, helpers, spectators send our thanks to you - especially for letting our Ladies win... ;)
We still have bibs in our possession - apologies for not handing them back - but I will shove them in the post - just let me know where they need to go.
On a more sobering note - I hope the road traffic incidents don’t come back to haunt you - and someway spoil what is a unique event.
Gareth

Hi Alan & Richard,
on behalf of the 70 or so Serpies who were part of WCR 2006 I’d like to thank you guys for putting on yet another great race. A big thanks also to all the other teams for their support - it wouldn’t have been possible to race in that heat without all the extra water stations everyone provided and I’ve had lots of feedback from my runners, especially the first timers, about the quality of the support along the routes “I’ve never run a 10mile race before where I’ve cheered every few hundred metres” was one comment. It’s a special atmosphere.
We’ll be back next year!
Ian Hodge
Serpentine RC

Many thanks for a very sucessful and enjoyable weekend. Once again the organisation and helpfulness of all your club members and helpers was first class. Hope to see you all again next year Mike. TROTs St Clears.
Just a quick note from every one at Middleton running club. just to say thanks to everyone for their support over the weekend and their water! Hope to see everybody next year for another great weekend.
thanks Malc Bostock

Alan,
First of all thanks again for a great castles weekend. My team thoroughly enjoyed themselves. We appreciate all the hard work done by Les Croupiers to make this event happen.
I want to register an appeal on the First leg on Saturday morning in Carnavon. I noted from the results board that our runner was shown as not declaring at the start. I can confirm that she did declare (which was witnessed by other team members) and provided the official with her squad number (I had briefed the whole team less than an hour earlier about this process and written their squad number on their race number). Our runner was Robyn Edwards, who went on the win the ladies race. I registered this with your race official (helped by Mick McGeoch) in Cardiff last night. He said I should complete an appeal form and send it in.
Could you provide me with this form, so I can formally make the appeal?
Well done and thanks again for providing such a great occassion.
Rod
Rodri Jones
Westbury Harriers

Dear Alan,
Just to thank you for a fantastic weekend at the Castles. This was the 4th time I have run a stage and it just gets better. Previously I have not had time to see the race before or after my stage. This year I managed to make a weekend of it and it was wonderful. The camaraderie was great, whether marshalling, handing out drinks or being urged to try a dip in the sea at Barmouth (very nice). The encouragement and support from all teams and other runners on Drovers definitely eased the pain of that hill (I think my calves are just starting to recover 3 days later) and I was offered so much water I would have dissolved if I had taken all of it.
Many of us marvelled at how Croups manage to organise it all - but thank heavens you do.
I’ll be hoping to be back next year (but not necessarily on Drovers!).
Diolch yn fawr,
Rhodri Davies
(Thames Vets)

Alan
Once again another magnificent weekend and North Fylde Vets are still debating about who to blame for the lost minutes that cost us the Vets Team, but who better to be beaten by than Les Croupiers.
Another topic of discussion is the length of Stage 10 given that it is a new course and both old and new distances are stated as 13.3. Can you, please, confirm that this is correct so that we can put to rest one hot topic of debate.
Thanks
Nick

Hi Alan & All
May I, on behalf of the CSA Wanderers Team (10) thank all the people involved in the Castle Relay for yet again a wonderful, well organized and coordinated race. All our runners thoroughly enjoyed their selfs. We will of course be having our dinners later in the year and an invite will be send to you for somebody to attend as a way of saying thank you for all the hard work.
After the Friday and Saturday of Man v Horse event it was a pleasure just to run, even if it was the tough early morning one.
Again many thanks from us all.
Roland & Pat Sherwood

Many thanks for a fantastic weekend, we came primarily to enjoy ourselves and we certainly did that!
I should point out as well that this isn’t just a team captain speaking on behalf of his team. Without exception all of our group have individually asked me to pass on a message of thanks.
We certainly hope to be back next year - perhaps with some serious intent next time!
Please pass on our thanks to all the other organisers.
Best wishes
Paul Thomas
South West Road Runners

Alan,
A big thank you to all involved in the massive undertaking of this relay. This race is truly a unique experience the scenery atmosphere and the excellent comradery between the clubs. It is for Wesham Road Runners one of the highlights Of the year. As a club who organizes races we take our hat off to you all, 20 races over 2 days completing over 200 miles in the process. On a personal note what material is the leg winners sweat shirts made from? Even in extreme heat it is a garment they seem reluctant to disregard. I have to ask because I have no chance of obtaining one ( I tried e-bay! )
Many ,many thanks to you all.
George Kennedy,
Wesham Road Runners