It's that time of year again...

As there are lots of new members, I thought I'd post the full invitation from Marlborough Running club.

MARLBOROUGH RUNNING CLUB
TWENTY-SECOND ANNUAL RIDGEWAY RELAY
DATE: SUNDAY 19TH. JUNE 2011
START: 7.30 AM, AT IVINGHOE BEACON, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE

INVITATION
You are invited to enter your running club or team, for the twenty-second running of the annual ten-stage Ridgeway Relay - Ivinghoe Beacon to Marlborough.Entry is by invitation only.

The entry form is at the end of this invitation. Please print off a separate
entry form for each team, and return to me by 31st. March 2011.

There are three team categories:
For Senior teams at least two stages must be run by lady runners.
For Ladies’ teams male runners may run up to two stages.
Veterans' teams must consist of runners all over the age of 50 and at least two stages must be run by lady runners.
Individual competitors may run more than one stage of the relay, but must run complete stages and all changeovers must take place at the designated locations. “Buddying” of runners is permitted, but on any particular stage only one runner in any team will be regarded as the official team member.
Clubs may enter up to four teams, but not more than two senior teams. If a club wants to enter three (or four) teams, at least one (or two) must be ladies’ or veterans’ teams.

The route follows the official Ridgeway National Trail, except for a diversion on stage nine to avoid a dangerous road crossing South of Ogbourne St. George, and a diversion on stage ten across the Marlborough Downs to the finish at Marlborough Leisure Centre. The total distance is 89
miles. Runners who gain advantage by deviating from the route are liable to incur time penalties.

The race will be under ARC (Association of Running Clubs) Rules of Competition, and a permit will be obtained from ARC.
In order to help accommodate more entries, we will be asking all teams to minimise the number of cars visiting some of the checkpoints, especially those at the ends of stages one, two and three.
Please help us in this regard (sorry, but we may have to introduce time penalties if teams fail to observe this request).

Terms and conditions
1. All team members must be over 17 years old.
2. All participants will be provided with running numbers, to be collected at the start of each stage, which must be worn when running.
3. All runners/teams are responsible for undertaking their own navigational research, and must make their own travel arrangements to and from each checkpoint.
4. Like any trail race, the Ridgeway Relay is not entirely free from hazards and risks of injury.
Hazards include:
· Road crossings, and one rail crossing (note – most road crossings will not be marshalled),
· Stiles, which may be slippery, especially if it is wet or muddy,
· Uneven paths, with ruts or roots coming up through the ground,
· Slippery grass paths,
· Tripping on stony tracks.

All runners are expected to take reasonable measures to recognise potential hazards and to avoid injury to themselves and others, and to take sensible precautions in case of any injury.
Runners are strongly advised to carry a mobile phone, a list of emergency telephone numbers (which appear on the reverse side of the race numbers) and contact numbers for their team members.
5. In the event of one or more of a team getting lost, it is the responsibility of their team to get out there and find them. (Locating lost runners is another reason for advising runners to carry mobile phones. In every recent Ridgeway Relay at least one runner has been lost for an hour or more. If they had been carrying phones this would have been avoided. Fortunately, every such lost runner was found by nightfall on race day – though in one case only just!)
6. Because of the nature of the event and the course, it is impractical for the organisers to provide effective full first aid cover. Team members are advised to carry basic first aid supplies. If first aid is needed that cannot be provided by another team member, a nearby marshal, or a member or supporter of another team, use an A&E Department in one of the nearby hospitals. Locations of these and their phone numbers will be given on the reverse side
of the running numbers.
7. The organisers will not be providing water or other drinks for runners at checkpoints or along the route. It is each team’s responsibility to make appropriate arrangements for their runners.
8. Team members should note that no toilet facilities will be provided at the start or along the route. Public facilities are available in nearby towns and villages (for example, near the start at Tring Station), and at the end of stage nine, and for customers of the Perch and Pike at the end of stage five. Changing and toilet facilities will available for all competitors in Marlborough Leisure Centre at the finish
9. All competitors take part on the express understanding that the organisers accept no responsibility for any loss or injury howsoever caused.
Race details are the same as previous years and will be emailed to you after you enter. If you are new to the event, and require more details before entering, please email me.
For more information and previous year’s results please go to our website:
www.marlboroughrunningclub.co.uk

Entry per team is £45

All the best to you all, and to your members from Marlborough Running Club.
Alan Joslin

Please note as in the last 3 years this falls on Father's day once again

I'm happy to organise our entry again this year if there is enough interest. Also very happy to let someone else sort it out if they'd like, or of course not enter this year if there are alternatives that people would like to do.

Stages are from 5miles to about 11miles long are are mostly over quite varied, but very runnable (one or two notable hills aside) terrain.

Please let me know if you are interested.

David

i,m good for it.....can make it for after lunch as per last year....first train out of Plymouth....last train via Pewsey.....

I'll be up for this again. Can easily do an early stage if need be, though would prefer a later stage (just for change of scenery) if I can get a later pass from my missus.

Would love to come and play again... although i believe the mrs has some plans that day, so i suspect any involvement will need to be an early stage

Would love to take part, but having had to pull out due to Fathers Day plans at least once before, I'm only a tenuous maybe at the moment.

I would be interested in running a stage (especially if Bill takes part ). My preference would be for one of the later stages.

As nice as it is to see the old lags signing up, new faces are more than welcome too!

echo that.....as this was my first meet up race back in 2008.......its a great event and luckily we,ve been blessed with good weather every year....mind last year's sunburn was my fault for not blocking up !!!!!!

Last bump for this one guys.

If we don't get a few more interested then this is a no-go for this year.

Brigitte/Matt D: is it worth a global email to all members to cover those who don't do the forum?

Do you not read your emails Alan?

I would very much like to have helped out on this David but family commitments prevent me from volunteering.

Thanks Bill.

Sadly it looks unlikely we'll get enough people interested for this year to make an entry viable.

I'm still very keen on relays as a way of getting us together and engendering a bit of team spirit. So if anyone knows of a relay in their part of the country that we could do then I would be more than happy to take part / help organise. I know we still have RNR to do - but I recognise that not everyone can spare a whole weekend away in deepest, darkest Norfolk.

It's a real shame that we can't get enough interest. I really enjoy doing this event and is one of the highlights of my running year. My leg last year took me past pot smoking hippies and a bunch of nudists.

If the thought of that doesn't generate some interest then nothing will.