Welsh
Castles 2011
The Welsh Castles
Relays: OK,
so gets a mention each year on a few Monday
club nights in spring before the run; so what’s it all about some of you
may well ask? Well it’s not an event
that’s exclusive to the elite club runners, certainly not at Wesham anyway! OK
participation is by invite and Wesham
have been involved for the last few years; but all club members are welcome to
run as part of the Wesham Team. Organised by the “Les Croupiers” running Club in Cardiff the Relay starts as it would suggest, funny
old thing, at a Castle in North Wales, Caernarfon, on a Saturday morning in mid June and involves running 20
stages, 10 each day, arriving at Cardiff
Castle after 209.85 miles on the
following Sunday afternoon. Sixty+
Teams participate and it’s as much an organisational challenge for each Team as is the running itself,
sometimes the running’s the easy bit! Each Leg
starts at a set time, so there’s no batten passing, and there is a cut off time
for each leg; else it would be a three day event for some teams!! Not
forgetting to mention of course there is the issue of some hills and mountains
to overcome on route. The overall race
is decided on cumulative time for each team. The winner of each leg collects a
coveted Yellow Jersey and in
addition the designated Mountain Legs
also have a King/Queen and for us
Vets a Monarchs of the Mountains Jersey
up for grabs. An overnight stop is involved at the end of Stage 10, mid
Well that’s a brief intro and if you are
interested in the 2012 event speak
with Alan Taylor who is our Organiser and Team Captain designate for the event. It’s a fantastic team event with great
camaraderie amongst the teams and the individual challenge of each leg, 20
races in one event!! Oh! Forgot to mention, there is also a need for a Team Mascot for which there is also a
prize presented at
So what of this year’s event? Well it commenced in the very early hours of Saturday 11th June, on what was to be a cracking summers day, at Wesham Fire station with the arrival of
Charlie P and 
navigator Emma L
in the Team Minibus, Alex R, myself, George K, The Barlow Bros,
Paul C, Finlay Mc and Joanna G
all climbed aboard. We all had the one bag except Jo who had everything needed for a camping expedition; we did
suggest it was only the one night!!!!
The other passenger worthy of mention and sat in the back was the Wesham Team Moose. The other team members made their own way and
Alan T had gone on ahead to register
the team with Chris Moss, our first Leg runner.
First stop outside Caernarfon
was Morrisons. No, not for shopping,
but for the “all day breakfast” and a brew, at great expense, to set us up
for a great weekends running. Onward
then to the Castle where Chris Moss in his first
Bang!! At 10pm the race was off. The start is always a controlled loop of the Castle by the runners as a group before
they break away and then the race is on up a gentle climb along roads and
disused railway lines for 9 miles. So with the race in progress off we all went
giving chase in minibuses and cars to ensure the next runners, Simon E for Wesham, were in place and of course to pick Chris M up at the end of his leg.
Cars and buses all stop along the route to provide support, refreshments
and cheer on the runners, regardless of club allegiance! Chris
ran well placing the team in 38th
place and was full of praise for the event.
Chris was disappointed though
to be making his way back to the Fylde
so early; another one for the minibus and a weekender next year then? Simon put in a sterling effort on the
undulating 11 miler through to the 
The sun continued
to shine in the clear blue skies allowing us to appreciate the stunning scenery
on route as Emma Lund sped off
uphill and in fine form making light work of the challenging 11 miles of Leg 8.
In fine form Joanna G 
took charge for Leg 9
on a relatively flat run through the 9 miles to Llanfair Caereinion finishing in 10th place and 2nd
lady disappointed to miss out on the Ladies
Vets Yellow Jersey.
So to the last leg of the day and under a
setting sun Charlie Pass took a
break from driving the team minibus and set off on the 13 miler to the
overnight stop at Newtown putting in
a cracking run to finish 4th.
At Berriew near Newtown Sarah Sherratt
had arranged the overnight accommodation as Sarah’s parents are naturalised locals it was an excellent
choice. Spread between two hotels the Talbot and the Lion we all had a meal and few beers together at the Talbot. Despite the early start that
awaited me in the morning even I succumbed to a couple of glasses of ale!! So
despite the rapturous overnight venting of various body parts, (I room shared
with Alan T and George), I was up at 5:30am for a bite to eat before the drive back
to Newtown and the 7am start to Leg 11.
At 5 past 7 the heavens opened and down came the rain for the 13+ miles
of this mountain stage which started with a 9 mile climb/slog uphill before an
undulating run in to the finish, which I managed to finish
soaked through and in 26th
place. A half marathon in the bag by 8:30am and before most sensible people
were out of bed on a Sunday!!!
Meanwhile with the rain in for the rest of the day Graham Vickers had already set of on Leg 12 on his way down to Crossgates
and a fantastic performance, finishing in 21st
place, well done GV. John Collier, having chosen to camp the
night on the school fields at Newtown
as did Joanna Goorney, was well
rested and put in a tremendous run on the undulating 11 miles of Leg 13 to Builth Wells and a well-
Onto Leg 15 and
the turn of the Relay Captain “Pieman”
Alan T. With the rain/deluge unrepentant Alan ran the steady 13 mile decent into Brecon. Steve Myerscough had earlier reluctantly left
the shelter of his brolly and was off on the 9 mile grind that is Leg 16 climbing the 1000 feet up to the
Brecon reservoir and finishing in 15th place. 
Meanwhile Paul Carter
had set off on Leg 17 on his way
down to Cyfartha Castle unfortunately suffering a bought of Asthma on the
way but determined to finish he did, slowing him to 55th place, well done mate. Finlay
McCalman had opted for Leg 18 and an undulating but steady
run through to Merthyr, finishing
wet through and cold but grinning and as positive as always.
Earlier Jason Barlow had left the
comfort and warmth of the minibus, we kicked him out, and set of at his usual
sprightly pace on the 11 miles to Caerphilly
finishing an excellent 8th
place but no dryer than anyone else!!. The glory Leg 20 his year was run by Sarah Sherratt downhill for the first 4
miles towards Cardiff before
levelling out through parkland for the final 6 miles entering Cardiff Castle
escorted by the Wesham Welsh Morph, both drenched, and in the pouring rain but
to the cheers and applause of the much travelled of the Wesham Team and placing Wesham
in a well deserved 21st
overall position out of the 59 Teams
completing the event. Our
peers from the Fylde behind us.
Written by: Gary
Moore
Submitted: 21st
October 2011
Edited by: Brenda J
Earnshaw WRR Editor