Welsh Castles Relay

The Welsh Castles Relay will take place 10 - 11 June 2017 and we will be entering a mixed open team and a mixed veterans team of 20 people each.  Sign-ups will open soon.

Croeso (welcome)

For all those new to the club or to the Welsh Castles Relay this is a fun-filled weekend that promises fantastic running, breath-taking views, overwhelming camaraderi and more than a handful of castles. Most importantly it’s a great way to meet new Serpies and make more running friends. Sign up will be opening next week but we wanted to use to this chance to warm people up and answer any questions. We’ll also be around in the club room on Wednesday night to talk about Welsh Castles (and relay running more generally). The weekend in numbers:

  • 2 days (10-11 June), 20 stages including 6 mountain stages, 211 miles, from Caernarfon to Cardiffin a staggered relay (everyone starts each leg at the same time).
  • 2 Serpie teams - 40+ Serpies of all abilities running one stage each
  • 66 running teams from across the UK (and overseas) for the 35th Welsh Castles Relay
  • The  route passes within 2 miles of: 22 Castles, 16 Forts (Roman or otherwise), 2 Mottes & Bailey and 5 Mottes. Plus a few beaches!
  • 4 / 5 Serpie support vehicles and 8-10 kind Serpie drivers

This year we have entered two teams of 20 - a mixed open team and a mixed vets team. It’s open to everyone who will comfortably be able to run 10 miles by June. For those speedsters looking for a challenge there are individual stage wins and records available and some great mountain trophies.

The race starts in Caernarfon on Saturday morning and ends in Cardiff on Sunday afternoon with an awards presentation (a.k.a drinks and picnic in the park) once the final team has finished. It consists of 20 stages ranging in distance from 8 to 14 miles passing many Welsh Castles in some challenging terrain and each team has 20 runners who each run one stage. There are ten stages on Saturday and ten on Sunday. It is all run on roads and footpaths.

More information can be found at: https://www.serpentine.org.uk/pages/race_welsh_castles.html

If you have any questions please get in touch and hopefully see many of your names appearing on the sign-up sheet soon.

Contact: welshcastles@serpentine.org.uk

Logistics

Most Serpies will travel to Caernarfon on Friday 9th June and stay in a B&B ready for the race start at 10am on the 10th. Some Serpies may also travel up on Saturday 10th June to meet the race around stage 5 or 6. It is possible to travel back to London during Saturday after your stage if required but it is a far better experience if you can stay for the full weekend. Everyone stays in B&Bs near the half-way point in Newtown. On Sunday it's an early start for the first stage and the race finishes in Cardiff at tea-time.

Taking over 40 Serpies to Wales is a major logistical challenge - if you'd like to help out please let us know. We'll be taking at least four, and probably five vehicles to Wales including so we will need drivers. Please volunteer to drive if you can.

Diolch (thanks)!

Submitted: 4 April 2017

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