WESHAM AT THE WELSH CASTLES RELAY THROUGH THE YEARS

REPORTS TO THE BLACKPOOL EVENING GAZETTE

 

June 1999

Wesham’s first entry captained by Dave Young

 

2

Keith Wilding

01:02:09

 

10.4

 

8

Gary Pendlebury

01:14:03

 

12.3

12

Ian Sharples

01:04:46

 

10.7

 

16

John Bertenshaw

01:09:11

 

10.9

33

Phil Metcalfe

01:22:35

 

12.1

 

28

Ian Cosh

01:08:27

 

9.9

24

Ian Rawcliffe

01:05:59

 

9.3

 

47

Peter Bartlett

01:49:00

 

10.9

7

Dave Waywell

01:00:54

 

9.8

 

2

Alex Rowe

01:04:52

 

12.4

10

Alan Hudson

01:05:07

 

11.0

 

22

Russell Mabbett

00:58:30

 

8.8

42

Dave Young

01:14:02

 

9.8

 

32

John Whiteman

01:09:56

 

9.0

18

Trevor Rayner

01:08:52

 

10.9

 

14

Trevor Rayner

01:04:30

 

10.1

7

Alan Glasgow

00:51:38

 

8.7

 

41

Derek Goodenough

00:58:49

 

7.5

20

Peter Aldersley

01:25:03

 

13.3

 

47

Derek Buckley

01:16:10

 

9.1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

15

Wesham R.R.

11:21:05

 

106.0

 

 

 

11:53:28

 

100.9

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

17

Wesham R.R.

23:14:33

 

206.9

17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 day event 11am start at Caernarfon on Saturday in bright conditions. 10 stages to Newtown (arrive 8:10pm). 7am start on Sunday at Newtown, 10 stages to Cardiff (arrive 4:10pm).

 

CONDITIONS: bright start at Acernarfon, clouded over by Dolgellau (2pm), a downpour on Stage 7. Stage 1 + 2 reasonably flat and start of Stage 3, Stage 4 reasonable, and Stage 5 undulating.

Cool start on Sunday, brightened up and got hot and sunny.

 

KEITH WILDING set off well, in the leading pack of three runners at 5 miles, 1 broke away and Keith took 2nd (first vet).

IAN SHARPLES ran v. well on the 2nd stage to finish 12th.

DAVE WAYWELL coped well with a 300’ climb from the start at Harlech Castle on Stage 5 (Harlech to Barmouth).

ALAN HUDSON ran a well controlled Stage 6 to gain 10th.

TREVOR RAYNER ran very well over a hilly course on Stage 8.

ALAN GLASGOW stormed his leg for a brilliant 7th.

PETER ALDERSLEY had to contend with a 1000’ climb from the start in Llanfair and the death of a competitor at the 3-mile mark in hot humid conditions. He gave it his all on probably the toughest stage, won again by Steve Brace.

GARY PENDLEBURY made a brilliant start to Day 2 with a tremendous well paced run over Stage 11 with a long steady 6-mile ascent followed by a long steady 6-mile descent.

JOHN BERTENSHAW worked well on his run on Stage 12 to gain two places back near the finish.

ALEX ROWE 1000’ overall descent, with 300-400’ ascent – very undulating!  Started too fast – had the lead until 4 miles and then dropped back to 2nd. 1st vet.

PETER BARTLETT made a heroic effort up the mountainous Stage 14 with an 1100’ climb over the last 4 miles.

RUSSELL MABBETT ran well on Stage 16 up a huge steady ascent on the 2nd half.

TREVOR RAYNER stood in for Ian Squire and had a brilliant run on Stage 18, on a revised course that took in a 500’ ascent at halfway.

DEREK BUCKLEY went wrong with the fourteen leaders at the top of the hill coming out of Caerphilly at 1.5 miles. He had to re-ascend the other side of the hill and find the correct course. Went from 15th to last but gained back two places to finish 47th.

 

A tremendous two day effort from the team, using a 12-seater minibus + cars. Team was 15th out of 50 at halfway (Newtown at the end of Saturday), 12th Open team out of 29, in 11:21:05, 64:08 behind the leaders Les Croupiers AC.

At the end of Sunday, despite going off course by 2 miles on Stage 20, finished 17th out of 49 (13th Open team out of 29) in 34:24:04 (245.40 (4:05:40) behind winner Les Croupiers AC).

 

June 2004

Wesham’s second entry after two previous failed attempts

 

The event of the last week was the 210-mile, 20-stage Welsh Castles Relay. Starting in Caenarvon at 10:30 am on Saturday in the shadow of the Castle, John Bertenshaw got Wesham underway on Stage 1 under inclement skies with a fine run uphill over 9 miles to Penygroes in 1:00:07 for 11th position. Gary Pendlebury had an excellent run over Stage 2 to Criccieth, finishing 2nd in 58:56 over 10.7 miles, winning the veteran category and a yellow jersey. Ian Sharples ran Stage 3, and finished 13th, handing over to Alan Hudson at Maentwrog who finished 15th over Stage 4 in the shadow of the impressive Harlech Castle. Bernadette Dickinson ran the 10 miles to Barmouth, placing 29th, and Phil Leaver continued on to Dolgellau over 11 miles. Andy Yelland took the team over the top to Dinas Mawddwy, and Terry Hellings ran Stage 8 uphill again to Foel. Junior of the team Karl Lee then had a blinder of a run down the 8.5 miles to Llanfair Caereinion to finish 10th. Chas Linkison finished off the action on Saturday on the brutal 13.3 mile stage over severe hills to Newtown.

 

Refreshed after the overnight break, Alan Taylor headed out at 7 am in the early morning sun from Newtown on Sunday over the 12.3 mountain stage to Llanbadarn Fynydd, running 1hr 35min for the distance. Dave Young took the reigns on Stage 12, handing over to Graham Vickers at Crossgates for the run through Llanidloes to Builth Wells. Temperatures were rising under cloudless skies as Peter Cruse set out over 10.6 miles to Drovers Arms on Stage 14, undulating over 6 miles before a mountainous climb of 2 miles and 900’ ascent. Mark Midgley ran 12.4 miles down to Brecon, 900’ descent but also including some 300’ of climbing. At Brecon, George Kennedy ran Stage 16 up to Beacons Reservoir, where Paul Taylor had a downhill run to Merthyr Tydfil. Michaela Dempsey ran the 9 miles down the Taff Trail to Abercynon, where Steve Myerscough continued on Stage 19 to the highly scenic castle in Caerphilly. Alex Rowe took over on the final stage in extreme temperatures down the final 10.4 miles on the Taff Trail, to finish 4th and 1st veteran through the gates of Cardiff Castle at around 4:30 pm, winning Wesham the second yellow jersey of the weekend.

 

June 2005

Wesham’s third and most successful attempt, captained by Alan Taylor

 

The weekend saw a Wesham team tackle the gruelling 2-day 20-stage Welsh Castles Relay from Caernarfon to Cardiff, as well as a busy week for the club across the Northern counties.

 

On Saturday morning a Wesham squad of men and women gather in Caernarfon in the shadow of the spectacular castle for the start of the Welsh Castles Relay, before commencing the 210-mile trek to Cardiff to finish inside the grounds of the equally impressive castle. Along the way passing many other wondrous castles there were six mountain stages as the route wound through the Cadair Idris mountain range into the heart of Wales and over the Brecon Beacons. The best performances from the Wesham team came from Alex Rowe (4th on the 13.3-mile Mountain Stage 10 in 1:17:02), Julian Mawson (5th on Mountain Stage 3, 1:08:38 for 12.1 miles), Ian Sharples (6th for Stage 2 in 1:02:37, 10.7 miles), Alan Hudson (6th on Stage 4 with 57:55 over 9.4 miles), and Charlie Pass (7th on Mountain Stage 14, running 1:06:07 for 11 miles). George Kennedy ran 1:08:51 over 10.7 miles on Stage 6 to finish 10th and Karl Lee was also 10th on Stage 13 with 1:05:06 for 10.6 miles. Martin Bates brought the team home into Cardiff in 18th position overall in a cumulative time of 23hrs 53mins and 54secs.

 

Other stage results: Stage 1 Phil Leaver - 1:05:53 (9.1, 21st); Stage 5 Reg Chapman - 1:09:37 (9.6, 22nd); Stage 7 Andy Yelland - 1:08:33 (9.75, 26th); Stage 8 Mark Midgley - 1:17:54 (11.2, 30th); Stage 9 Ian Cosh - 1:01:20 (8.6, 24th); Stage 11 Alan Taylor - 1:32:41 (12.3, 42nd); Stage 12 Dave Young - 1:32:52 (11.2, 51st); Stage 15 Graham Vickers - 1:29:36 (12.4, 39th); Stage 16 Bernadette Dickinson - 1:10:36 (9.0, 41st); Stage 17 Paul Carter - 1:03:37 (9.2, 26th); Stage 18 Peter Cooke - 1:14:06 (9.1, 45th); Stage 19 Paul Dunkerley - 1:11:02 (10.4, 17th); Stage 20 Martin Bates - 1:09:51 (10.4, 26th).

 

June 2006

Wesham’s fourth run with tough weather conditions

 

It was a scorcher all round as Wesham runners competed in the hottest weekend of the year so far. Performances were affected with gale force winds throughout the area.

 

A Wesham team took part in the 210-mile Welsh Castles Relay, travelling the length of Wales from Caernarfon to Cardiff. The best positions were achieved on Saturday, with Trevor Rayner 4th on Stage 2 (1:08:42) and Andy Yelland on Stage 4 (1:01:45). Alan Glasgow was 8th on Stage 1 (1:04:14) and Julian Mawson 9th on Stage 3 (1:17:59). Runners faced gale-force winds as they negotiated through Snowdonia, with conditions easing as the relay route passed over the hills into Powys. The team achieved 6th spot on the first day recording 11:59:35 for 110 miles. On Sunday with some of the most gruelling stages through the Brecon Beacons but with the weather starting off cooler the best positions were achieved by Barry Peatfield (11th on Stage 13) and George Kennedy (11th on Stage 17), with Charlie Pass and Russell Mabbett both 12th on Stages 14 and 15 past the remote Drovers Arms between Builth Wells and Brecon. The team arrived 11th in the grounds of Cardiff Castle on Sunday afternoon with a finish time of 24:16:43.

 

Other runners: Phil Leaver (22nd); Joanna Goorney (25th); Paul Dunkerley (18th); John Bertenshaw (10th); Paul Carter (33rd); Alex Rowe (11th); Alan Taylor (47th); Dave Young (51st); Barry Norman (14th); Peter Cooke (33rd); Martin Bates (28th); Karl Lee (26th).

 

Written by: Alex Rowe

Submitted: 7th June 2007