Les Croupiers Running club

The inquest is over. After much huffing, puffing and jockeying for position, we've debated at length, praised the good bits and corrected the bits that needed tweaking. Many thanks to all the Les Croupiers members, competing teams and multitude of officials for the invaluable feedback. Keep your eyes peeled; Castles 2010 starts here.

The dust has settled, praise, opportunities for improvement and slanderous comments from mischevious types has all flooded in. To make sense of it all, the Castles subcommittee will tonight be meeting with the teams and marshals of Les Croupiers running club to see how we can make the best event in the UK even better. From 8.30pm onwards, Llandaff RFC. Bring a sleeping bag, thermos flask, breastplate and protective helmet. These lively sessions go on until the wee small hours......

The Welsh Castles Relay has now moved over to it's own dedicated web pages. Hopefully we will be able to convey all the details of this superb race in a nice, easy to digest manner. Over time the site will build with latest news, articles of interest, images gallery and results. Suggestions for improvement are welcomed and may be posted here.

27th Welsh Castles Relay 2009
13th – 14th June 2009
Caernarfon to Cardiff: 210.9 miles, 20 Stages, 57 teams, 1140 runners + support

To mount an event of this complexity you need an experienced, enthusiastic and willing team. That is what Les Croupiers fortunately can draw on, with some 45 officials and marshals devoting their time and commitment to the Castles.
Changeover Marshals: Steve & Cheryl Alexander, Janet Gundy, Julie Lewis, Angela Neal, Maurice Prendergast

Cyclists: John Plain, Simon Nurse and Rod & Angela Jones

Media: Geoff Wright

Medical Support: Red Cross

Programme Editor / Communications: Tim O’Sullivan

Race Referees: Ken Bray and Derek Williams

Race Starter: Paul Stillman

Results: John Upstone and Jeff Aston

Route Markers: Tracey Black (Thomas), Alan Bladen, John Dowden, Mel James, Gwyn Llewellyn, Rhian Llewellyn, Paul Morris, Sue Neal, Carolyn Roberts, Colin Slocombe (Flash) 
Sponsors: Air Products, Brecon Carreg, Corus, Mizuno and Run and Become
Start/Finish Gangs: Paul Bennett, Ralph Davey, Steve B Lewis, Steve G Lewis, Trevor McKenzie, Kellinu Portelli

Timekeepers: Jeff & Val Aston, Ken Bray, Geoff Cram, Graeme Donnan, John Griffin, Andrew Russell, Paul Thomas and Derek Williams

Umpire support: Bridget Thomas and Tim O’Sullivan

Website: Dave Weeden

Additional support: Tony Dorset’s family, Terry Caveney and Alan Mason.
The weather was good once again for the race, other than on Stage 1 when the runners did get wet (sorry). Most of the radio chat from the Red Cross was about ice creams, which is music to our ears. There were very few glitches, and the smooth running of the event is, in large part, down to those named above. We are also grateful to the team marshals – over 300 – who ensured that they were at their designated positions on time and performed their duties for the safety of the runners and supporters.

Alan and Richard would like to convey their enormous thanks to everyone who made the Castles happen. Congratulations to Serpentine Senior Men, Serpentine Ladies, South West Road Runners Veterans and Corus. The biggest thanks go to the 1140 runners who took part with great enthusiasm. That makes the hard work worthwhile.

Alan and Dick