Note also that we have a new WCR team member - Amanda Thompson - who's boldy agreed to take on the role of WCR Race Registrar. Amanda is a relatively new but very enthusiastic member of Les Croups and we are so grateful for her help in managing the 2012 WCR. Please co-operate with her at every stage of the application and registration process...

Dear Fellow Runner

Happy New Year.  I am sure this is the email you have all been waiting for, just to encourage you and your colleagues to pick up your training after the festive period!

I attach details and an entry form for the 30^th Welsh Castles Relay 2012 (available as a word document and a pdf). The race, a highlight in the running calendar, will take place this year on Saturday and Sunday, 9^th and 10^th June, 2012. At this stage, this is obviously subject to (i) confirmation of sponsorship, (ii) relevant permissions being granted, (iii) any other unforeseen circumstances.

Please return the application form to Amanda Thompson, WCR Race Registrar (contact details: 189 Mackintosh Place, Roath, Cardiff CF24 4RP; tel: 07929001048; email: amjanette@virginmedia.com) by Friday 9^th March at the very latest with the appropriate fee (£350 for Club entries and £575 for Business Houses).

Please read the Entry and Race Rules carefully; there are no changes this year. Note that veterans are females/males aged 35 or over on race day.

We will let you know if your application has been successful by mid-March.

Good luck and we hope to see you in June.

With all best wishes for 2012.

Richard Brewer

Race Co-ordinator

Can we confirm, therefore, that the 2012 Welsh Castles Relay will take place over the weekend of the 9th and 10th of June.

This promises to be a very special occasion - the 30th running of the race in Olympic Year no doubt increasing still further interest in the race (and the demand for participation in!)

Watch this space for details of entry to the 2012 WCR...

Alan Thomas (centre) alongside Club Chairman John Griffin (left) and current WCR Race Director Richard Brewer (right) at the 2009 Castles

The WCR Committee, members of Les Croupiers Running Club, and no doubt everyone associated with the Castles, are shocked and saddened by this terrible news.

Alan had been battling with cancer and associated illness for some time but had looked much improved when he popped down to the club house on Thursday the 27th October to collect a much deserved Welsh Athletics Meritorious Award for services to athletics and the WCR.

Alan's health had deterioated over the last week however, and unfortunately he lost his fight for life this morning. Our thoughts go out to Jean and Alan's family at this very sad time.

Many thanks to John Upstone and Jeff Aston for compiling and for taking-on board several amendments, the biggest of which (following a transposition error on Stage 19) resulted in the Croups Vets Team victory over Swansea Harriers falling from a comfy 10 plus minutes (time enough to stop for a cuppa) to a nail-biting 21 seconds. Not bad following 24+ hours of racing!    

Al,seconds after the finish at Cardiff

Excellent pictures from the weekend that you have uploaded and shared can also be viewed here. If you have more, please post a link on the forum.. 

I very much hope that you have dried out by now!  Saturday, in my view, was a ‘magical’ day, perfect running weather, a great ‘Castles’ atmosphere and very few incidents for the Red Cross to deal with! On Sunday, well we all had to dig deep to get through the day. I am very grateful to everyone who stayed for the presentation ceremony. Your fortitude greatly impressed our sponsors.  As you know the presentation ceremony had been a concern for us from the beginning of the weekend. We tried desperately to make alternative arrangements, but the notice was just too short.  

 Tim and I, who go out in the ‘lead’ cars checking the route were very impressed with the team marshalling this year, for the vast majority of you were in place in very good time.  Well done and keep it up, for the safety of all runners and supporters depends very much on you.

Congratulations to all the winners and more importantly everyone who took part in maintaining the ‘Castles’ tradition.  You might like to let your teams know that the provisional results are available at http://www.welshcastlesrelay.org.uk/

There are a number of discrepancies, and I would be grateful if team captains could provide the correct information to the Results Service.  We would also be grateful if you could confirm with me that you are happy that your results are correct. We intend confirming them on 27^th June (2011 that is). 

We very much hope to see most of you again in 2012 for the 30^th running of the Welsh Castles Relay (provisionally 9^th and 10^th June 2012).

With all best wishes and please maintain your training.

Richard

Some of us are both sunburnt and hypothermic (talk about a game of two halves...) following Saturday's blue skies, and then Sunday's cats and dogs. The rain started today at precisely 7:00am (the time we started Stage 11) and finished, in Cardiff, as soon as we'd cleared away the race debris from the Castle grounds. We've been very lucky weather wise in recent years though. 

GWR's Winning Mascot Mr IKBOnce they've dried out, the provisional results will appear on the WCR Results Service - apols but this may take a day or so.  Team Captains will have until the 1st July to submit any corrections to the WCR's Chief Statistician and Race Referee (details will follow).

Congratulations to:

Serpentine RC for winning both the Open and Ladies Race (again !)

Croups for winning the Vets Race (under the inspirational leadership of 'Bluebeard' Mike Davies) and coming second in the Open and the Ladies

Burgess Salmon for winning the Business Class

Great Western Runners for winning the keenly contested Mascots Awards (Mr Brunel...)

Mark Hulmston (Wirral) for winning the Team Official's Award

Dave Thomas for wining the WCR Support Team drawer

Kings, Queens, Monarchs of the Mountain and more to follow...

Croups victorious Vets Captain, Mike Davies. Apologies for the brevity of this message - we need sleep though.

So to you no doubt !

Richard and Tim 

Many thanks to everyone involved for the help, enthusiasm, support, hard work, passion, commitment, eccentricities, worry, professionalism, comradeship, history and most of all spirit which makes this such a special event. Look after each after, especially on the busy and unpredictable roads of Wales (where there remain risks regardless of our attempts to minimise them) and especially when racing (you know the score - no cutting of corners, keep left unless instructed, do as the marshalls say, encourage those in trouble etc). Make sure you know your squad number (!!) but most of all enjoy and have fun. 

Relish the moment!  

Dick and I will be recc'ing the whole length of the course for one last time on Friday. Keep an eye on this site for any other last minute traffic/other news!