Dear CRC Members,
As you may have seen on club’s Facebook page, the pleasure that is the Avon Valley Relay takes place on Saturday 1st July with the first leg starting at 1pm. Further information on the event is provided below and can be found on Avon Valley Runners’ website here but the key points are as follows:
- An inclusive & social pass the baton relay event for all abilities of runner – from newbies to racing snakes
- Navigation is straightforward
- It is downhill or flat!
- Trowbridge Rugby Club provides a grandstand finish to cheer in the fourth leg runner and then jointly celebrate with some liquid refreshment.
If you want to join the fun and be part of a CRC team then please let me know by return of email. The club committee has kindly agreed to pay for up to ten teams but if we can pull together more than that I’ll spread the cost.
Finally, should you have a question about the event before committing then drop me line by email / Facebook / Messenger and / or catch me on a Tuesday or Thursday club night.
Cheers,
Dave Mackie – mackiedfs@aol.com
Avon Valley Relay Summary:
A traditional ‘pass the baton’ type event covering 17-miles in four self-navigated stages. Starting from Bradford on Avon Rugby Club in Winsley and finishing at Trowbridge Rugby Club in Hilperton, following the beautiful Avon Valley.
Leg #1 of 4-miles. Starting at Bradford on Avon Rugby Club in Winsley the relay starts with a lap around the rugby pitches before heading out on a quiet country lane to the hamlet of Warleigh, where you descend down to the banks of the River Avon where you follow a footpath all the way to the towpath of the Kennet & Avon canal and on a short distance to the first handover point at Dundas Aqueduct.
Leg #2 of 4.25-miles. Starting on Dundas Aqueduct the course follows the towpath of the Kennet & Avon canal all the way through to Avoncliff and onto Barton Farm Country Park where the handover point is outside the Tithe Barn in Bradford on Avon.
Leg #3 of 5.75-miles. Starting outside the Tithe Barn in Bradford on Avon the course heads up Pound Lane and after a careful crossing of the Frome Road the course rejoins the towpath of the Kennet & Avon canal which is followed all the way through Staverton and onto Semington where the final handover point can be found outside the “Somerset Arms”.
Leg #4 of 3-miles. Starting outside the “Somerset Arms” in Semington the course heads through the village before moving off-road following the Kennet & Avon canal on the opposite bank to the towpath affording the leading runners to see those two miles behind on the other side. At Whaddon bridge the course heads back onto the road for a gentle climb up towards Hilperton where a bridlepath leads the way to Trowbridge Rugby Club where the finish line awaits following a a lap around the Rugby pitches.