Letters

Alan, On behalf of South Wales Police AC, congratulations to you and your team. The Castles, is a magnificent, special event organised by special people. It was interesting to read, the comments of Cheltenham, re Police cooperation, in other areas. The planning and preparation you carry out ensures that the major health and safety issues,are minimised. South Wales Police AC, are proud to be part of the event and will continue to offer whatever support we can. Allready looking forward to next year.

Dennis Michael

Hi. Team Captains,

On behalf of Alan's merry band of workers I thank you for the many e-mails of congratulations. Dave Weeden has put these on our web site for all to see plus they will be published in the next edition of our club magazine ACE. I will however point out that without the help of the 300+ marshals that the competing teams provide, the Welsh Castles would sadly be like many other events, a thing of the past, so to you and all your club mates, many thanks from all at Les Croups.

In most instances your marshals arrived on time to carry out their duties. Unfortunately the support vehicles caused some grid locking and I mention but two locations, Dinas Mawddwy and Cyfartha Castle, this must improve next year. However, all in all most things went well.

On a positive note I am pleased to say that the tee shirts have returned to the standard we all expect of them and that we have a small number that we can offer for sale. You may wish to present your vehicle driver with one as a memento. They are priced at £5.50 including postage and packing. If ordering please let me know the size (S, M, L, or XL.) plus delivery address.

Contact me by email for details.

So until January 2006 (Entry Applic.) stay fit and enjoy the remainder of your racing calendar.

Regards

Alan T.

Hi, I just wanted to say thank you for the Welsh castles relays. I had a fantastic weekend as did the rest of the club.

Fantastic time and I will be back next year with another 20 willing people … apart from our minibus which broke down at leg 11 and then we found out the minibus wasn’t covered with the RAC or anything!

Thanks for all your efforts, it was another great weekend. It amazes me that you all manage to get to all the different legs on time!

A rather belated ’thank you’ to all at Les Croupiers for an outstanding weekend at the Welsh Castles. Everyone in our club ’TROTS’ ( which ,by the way stands for Taf Running and Orienteering Team in case you think we are all geriatrics forever needing the loo!!) had a great time and all of our runners gave of their best and some put in good times. Those of us who merely followed on and gave support also enjoyed the occassion and the great spirit of camaraderie that is always so apparent at this unique event.

Keep up the good work and we hope to be able to join you again next year.Hope you get some time off yourself before you start organising the next Castles !!

Kind regards

Jeannette

Should add Dulwich Runners’ thanks and congratulations to those you’ve received already. Everyone in the team really enjoyed the weekend and once again all the organisation was superb. We’re very grateful to you and your team for putting in the huge amount of time and effort it must take to get everthing running so smoothly.

Support from other teams was also excellent this year—we particularly appreciated the sponges and the maracas!

Attached is a copy of the report produced for our club newsletter. We also took loads of photos, some of which should be on our website soon—the link is http://dulwichrunners.org.uk/

Would like to pass on special thanks to the timekeepers at the finish of leg 18.

Our runner was struggling and came in (we thought) last. The woman taking finish times was really great, told our runer how well she’d done to finish 5 minutes inside cut-off and so help the team, gave her extra water and just generally made her feel like it was all worthwhile.

That kind of support for slower runners makes Castles feels like an event for everyone and was really appreciated.

One small bit of feedback for next year.

The route-finding instructions and changeover maps are not always as clear as they might be. We only found Navigation Park by asking a marshall!

I know they must be they’d be time-consuming to produce but it would be very helpful to have clear instructions for the how to get direct from the start of one leg to the next for those not following the race. But this is just a small point—overall we were all very impressed with the organisation.

thanks again—hope we’ll be back next year

Kirstin

Alan

have picked up results, Bitton club runners have been back to me and have said what a great time they had, even looking forward too next year if you’ll have us back............me absolutely knac**red, logisitics for one club was bad enough so appreciate tremendous effort you must have had to do for whole race

Thanks again

Paul Sperrin

Bitton Road Runners

many thanks for another cracking race and a briliant weekend from everyone down at NEATH HARRIERS

From: DAI BARBER

Thanks once again for a great weekend

As well organised as ever. Did some marshalling on the Criccieth—Maentwrog stretch after which I told chief marshall that it had gone well: there having been only two fatalities among the runners. Feel I need to point out that it was not true! Your results list confirms everyone finished.

On a serious note please do not shift any more of the runs onto paths. I appreciate the need for safety but there are never any real problems in this regard.

Runners commented on the loneliness in the later stages of a leg run on a walkway with no other runners or pedestrians around.

The big thing about the Castles is the atmosphere and we are in danger of losing this unique feature if we go more and more off road.

Peter Blundell

Prestatyn RC

Hi Alan, just a quick note to say what a fantastic weekend i have had. It was my first Castles Relay, and one i will never forget, i have been on such a high since Sunday, and cannot wait for next years event! The organisation was superb,and everybody helped each other in a truely carnival atmosphere.

There was just one thing i would change at Cardiff Castle, on entering i would have the finish on the left side on the grass with the bunting/spectators etc each side to create a funnel to the finishing line, as there was some confusion of where the finish was and having to run on the cobbles. Thanks again, Mike Butcher, Bath AC.

From: Mike Butcher

Dear Alan,

On behalf of Cheltenham and County Harriers many thanks for all your hard work to make the weekend such a successful and enjoyable one for all of us. Even the weather was again a success!

I never realised hummingbirds could hover so slowly :-)

Richard Rogan

Cheltenham Harriers

Thanks again for brilliantly organising such a great event. It really is unique with such a tremendous sense of comradeship and cooperation between the clubs.

You must have very good connections with the police as in most areas in England this just couldn’t happen anymore. We have lost so many events to traffic. Just keep giving the South Wales Police a free entry!!

I co-organise a small, local event in Oct. every year and know what problems that we can get so to take on the Castles is a huge commitment and probably a great relief when over.

Well done and I hope it all goes as well next year.

Thanks

Peter Hawcroft

Bromsgrove and Redditch AC

Thanks Alan for all the hard work from you & the Les Croups team: a fantastic weekend!

Chris Davies -EADS.

Just a thank you for what our club considers as the best running event in the year. Give our thanks to all of your members who organise The Castles and we look forward to 2006. Cheers. The Maggot

From: Mark Jones Tue, 14 Jun 2005

Alan

Thanks for this, I’ll check through and send to the results team.

Once again many thanks for organising such a great event. My guys & girls are all focussing on improving for next year! And we’ll set a minumum performance over 10 miles to get into the team.

Cheers

Ian

I felt compelled to write. The Welsh castles Relay 2005 was my first big gathering event and my first experience of a Relay atmosphere. What a wonderful experience. The organisation was excellent the races were all challenging in different ways but all the people who participated made this event outstanding. Thanks for a great experience. I’ll be back to race again, better and stronger with the Castles as a real motivation.

From: Alan Heap Tue, 14 Jun 2005 13:26:44

Alan, Please accept our heart felt gratitude for providing 40 very happy runners with the usual brilliant weekend . I have already had the request to start the list for 2006.

So many thanks to you and all the members of Les Croupier and hope to see you next June.

Regards

Alan Lewis

Well done on organising such a massive feat. Its a great concept utilising contributors to help out.

As a Castles "virgin" I spent all of Sat looking out of the van window worrying about the size of hills in Wales. However on the Sunday, post run, I felt a lot happier!

I think it will take me a whole year to get over this event.

I have asked my team manager if he will let me do Drovers again!

Daniel Moore (Bristol and West AC)

Hi Alan,

Thanks for the provisional results, just like to say what a fantastic event is was. First time we have taken part in the race and could not believe the atmosphere, the support, the spirit of the whole event. Quite simply the best running event I have taken part in in all my years of running (which is a long time!). We’re already planning for next year.

Thanks again.

Davi Gough

Vale Royal Athletic Club.

Hi, I just wanted to say thank you for the Welsh castles relays. I had a fantastic weekend as did the rest of the club.

From: Nick Haywood (Vale royal AC)

Ran for Hummingbird R/KYV on Day 2. Excellent organizing, marshalling and general support.

Tony Hamilton

Alan

I am writing to you on behalf of Eastleigh Running Club to thank you, all at Les Croupiers, and all the other volunteers and teams of helpers for the Welsh Castles Relay weekend. The detailed organisation was tremendous from the basic rules to the appropriately-sized T shirts being presented to each runner as they crossed their finish line.

The support, encouragement, and cameraderie from the other teams over the weekend helped us on our way up the steep learning curve. Having participated and experienced the relays this year we hope and intend to enter again in 2006, and show the other clubs what we have learnt, and that our team from southern Hampshire can be much more competative!

Sara Rhimes (Secretary)

leg 8

Phew that was close! We thought Bridgend were going to catch us on the last couple of stages, but that run from Phill on the Drovers leg was a life saver (for us, if not him).

Alan, thanks to you and to your team for another really great Castles relay. We had a super time, as ever, and it was great to meet new friends and to catch up with old acquaintances. Could you pass on our heartfelt thanks to all of your team for your hard work to make it a safe and super weekend for us all?

We’ll be back to defend the title next year.

All best wishes

David

Hi Alan

I just wanted to say a huge ’thank you’ on behalf of Mornington Chasers to you and your team for another fantastic Welsh Castles Relay. We all enjoyed our second year as much as our first and we even improved our overall position!!

Organising the logistics for 20 runners is hard enough, so it’s hard to imagine how much focus and patience is needed to organise the whole event. So thank you again and we hope to be back next year!!

Jane Nodder

Castles Team Captain

Mornington Chasers

Dear Alan

On behalf of North Fylde AC I would like to say a very big thank you to you and your organising Committee for another wonderful weekend running through Wales.

I know how much time and effort is required to put on the Castles Relay by so many people year after year and it is not a task I would relish without a group of enthusiastic and dedicated individuals prepared to give up countless hours of their time so that so many others can enjoy a unique experience.

Those who were first timers were really impressed with the event whilst the old hands still crave for more and are already requesting their stages for next year.

Please pass on our thanks and gratitude for a job well done. You all deserve a few weeks break before the planning starts for next year!

Regards

Nick Hume

Chairman North Fylde AC

13 June 2005

Alan,

Thanks again for a great weekend and for the good publicity you give us.

Also, thanks for the coasters—very impressive—have passed on a couple of sets to Ian and his boss with your thanks for their support.

Congratulations to you and your team for putting it all together?. Great job!

Best Regards

Alan

Air Products PLC

Alan,

Firstly thanks for a great weekend & for what seems to have been a close run race.

On behalf of all our guys a big thanks & hopefully we’ll be there next year & have another go!

Cheers.

Tony Mcdevitt.(Wirral)

Alan,

What a wonderful weekend we all had—and moved up 5 places too to 9th. Next year victory for Winchester.... hmmm... perhaps not!

Anyway—many thanks from us all to Les Croups for all your brilliant organisation once again—and we’ll be back year—if you’ll have us—possibly with a Ladies Team too :)

Gareth

I would like to thank you, all at Les Croupiers Running Club and the numerous other helpers you must have for such a great time last weekend.

Everybody from our club had a super time.

It is hard to believe that a week has gone already, ah well at least it will mean next year will come around that much quicker. Oh for another night on Newtown Leisure Centre floor!!!

The sunburn from the early legs on the saturday has just finished peeling off!!! They thought I was crazy when we left friday evening to travel up that I had packed my hat and gloves for the top of Drovers, guess who had the last laugh as we marshalled at the top on sunday!

So many memories but 1 could not help to be impressed by Phill Sly’s run to the top of Drovers, awesome.

Once again many thanks.

Regards

Chris

Chris Bourne Stroud Athletic Club

What can I say; another year and another excellent Castles Relay!

The whole weekend, as always, but brilliantly organised and seemed to go as smooth as ever.

I feel the competition is on the increase which is great for our sport and it is also good to see so many people entering into the ’Castles Spirit’

as well as keeping an eye on the serious side of the event.

All of us from Clevedon had a superb, as well as knackering, weekend and I would be grateful if you would pass on our thanks to the rest of the organising committee.

I know you are commencing preparations for next year already, so too are we - wouldn’t miss it for the world!

Many thanks once again and enjoy a well-deserved rest for the summer.

With kind regards,

Andy Heyes

Chairman - Clevedon AC

Hi Al can I just say on behalf of all my team thank you for one of the best weekends in the running year.

Can you pass this on to all of your team who without them such a fantastic race would not take place so once again thanks and we will see you the same time next year.

Alan Taylor

Team Captain Wesham Road Runners