From the team about their experience at the Welsh Castles Weekend

A weekend of camaraderie, banter, laughter and friendship between running clubs from throughout the UK and abroad. This is an event everyone should experience. Colin Jones.

A fantastic combination of fun, camaraderie and inspiration! I always
return from the Castles more motivated to run and improve than ever before. Matt Jerrard.

Once I realised that our ERC team objective really was not to win, but to enjoy the weekend, I embraced that objective and thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. I found that most ERC runners judge and compare their performance by how many runners finish behind them, usually a much smaller number to work with than how many are in front. I would love to go again. Charlie Free (first-timer)

The perfect combination of sunburn, windburn, beaches, ice cream, friendship, support, team spirit, food, hills, competition success and bitter disappointment.  A fantastic family weekend.  Thank you everyone. Andrew Payne

There are many ups and a few downs.  Ups included fun and increased heart rates.  I would do it again just for the food alone!  Hayley Payne

No school, lovely food, cosy B&B’s, fast runners, big hills, sea views and the excitement of hanging Tigger’s out of car windows.  Harvey Payne

Fun marshalling – loved doing the water stations.  A rainbow of vests made for great watching.  Lovely accommodation and it was fabulous seeing lots of familiar faces.  Alex Payne

Seeing the Welsh Castles and the waterfalls was fab.  Going in Noel’s van was the best.  Elliot Payne

Prevented from running by calf injury still mannaged to support and
water Sara, Richard, Kathy and Andrew with help from Lorraine and
Stephanie. Excellent weekend. Paul Dibden

"Combine the friendly atmosphere of a mass participation event with the fine spectacle of some outstanding athletic performances and you've got the WCR." Sara Rhimes

A great team spirit, with great support along the route. Wonderful  scenery,  excellent running, lovely to see such a wide range of abilities in such a well orgainised  and colourful event. A  very enjoyable event, a great weekend.  Look forward to next years Welsh Castles. Kathy Johnson 

Great team spirit, fabulous scenery and fantastic running. Really feel like you're a link in the Eastleigh chain, whether running, driving, supporting or photographing. Hannah Howard

Inter-Club Banter/ Comments

Hi Chris, (Lliswerry)

Hope you have dried out. From the rain that is, not from the drinking no doubt you and your mob were doing after the Relay celebrating how you managed to somehow retain 'The Dragon'.

I still have some suspicious thoughts on what the opposing captain was doing on the Sunday morning in the vicinity of the breakfast table where two of our members who were due to run that morning were seated eating their pre-race meal. Also my suggestion that parking tickets incurred by one of the clubs should incur the deduction of a leg victory seems to have been breezed over. We will be working on something about that brother of yours acting as the 'impartial????' arbitrator in our competition. I have a list of several other dubious tactics employed by your gang but being peaceful Hampshire folk we won't demand a stewards enquiry.

On a serious note I just wanted to thank you and the rest of the Lliswerry members who took part over the weekend for the friendship and camaraderie which just adds the icing to the Welsh Cake to what is a fantstic weekend.

Wishing everyone at Lliswerry all the best over the coming months. 

Regards,

Colin. (ERC Chairman)

P.S. Keep looking after and feeding Pickles as no doubt you will be needing him again next year to bail you out!!!!    

Hi Colin, (ERC)

I'm glad you all returned back over the border in safety. We have now turned off the rain as it was upsetting the dragon, but it seemed to serve its purpose.

Noting your peaceful nature, I have advised our team captain to take no further action on the syrup of figs incident by the Eastleigh support team on one of our best runners and similarly for covert fielding of a half iron man on the same stage.

Therefore it only leaves me to thank the Eastleigh team on behalf of all of us at Lliswerry for a fantastic weekend of good natured banter. The only one saving grace of my impartial brother is that he has created a very entertaining annual competition.

See you next year for another warm Welsh welcome.

Cheers Chris (Lliswerry)

P.S. We have a new name for our club secretary Paul "Pickles" Day

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Hi Steve, (Winchester)

Hope you have dried out from Sunday.

I was going to send this message to your team captain Janet but I don't have an e-mail address for her.

On behalf of the ERC members who took part in the weekend's relay I would like to thank WADC members for all the support they gave to our runners. Over the last few days there have been several comments from our members praising the support from your club which was much appreciated especially on the wet and windy stages on the Sunday.

Having the friendly faces from our local club present in Wales just adds to the whole enjoyment and camaraderie of the weekend. I hope all your members were pleased with their runs and had a good time.

Perhaps you would be kind enough to forward this on to Janet who in turn could pass on our thanks to her team's runners and supporters.

Regards,

Colin Jones.

Eastleigh Running Club.

Dear Colin, (ERC)

Thank you for your kind words. This is my fourth year at The Welsh Castles Relay and every year one of the highlights is the support we receive from Eastleigh RC.

On behalf of the team this year and past years I would like to thank all Eastleigh Runners and Supporters for their support: water, car horns blown, shouts of encouragement, photo’s, lifts etc all make such a great atmosphere.

I would also especially like to thank the driver of the Eastleigh Mini Bus who let me out when no one else would, especially as they were trying to get Hannah to the start of her stage and I understand it was all a bit tight.

Eastleigh are always such a friendly bunch (even when on home territory) and I, and I’m sure others members of WADAC look forward to supporting and having the support of ERC during future Welsh Castle Relays (roll on WCR 2012).

I hope the Eastleigh runners are recovering, I know there were a lot of tired legs at training on Tuesday in Winchester!

Kind Regards,

Janet Littlewood

              WADAC are quite simply The Best!!! (Winchester)

Yeah but hang on you never won the competition and anyway we had nice warm beds while you were shivering in your sleeping bags. I won't cheer him on next year.

Colin.(ERC)

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Hi Martin and Stuart

I got your email address from the note below, hope you don’t mind me sending you this quick note.

I just wanted to say, on behalf of Sale Harriers, thank you so much for all the support you gave our runners during the Welsh Castles weekend.  I ran leg 4 (with 2 hours notice after a late injury drop out) and the roadside support I got from Eastleigh was brilliant.  I certainly needed a bit of help as I’d only had 4 hours sleep the night before due to my 4 month old baby deciding he didn’t want to sleep through the night on Friday, despite having done so for the previous 10 days!

Anyway, a good weekend had by all and your support stood out from the rest as particularly good, so thank you very much indeed!

Hope you had a good weekend too.

Catherine Jones (Sale Harriers Manchester, ladies team captain).

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