The weekend was dominated by the Bath Athletic Club’s 23rd running of the Cotswold Way Relay. This is a race which takes the full 103 miles of the Cotswold Way and breaks it into 10 stages. Each of the participating clubs have representative teams comprising the necessary 10 runners. This year the FODAC had three teams, a Veterans and two mixed [ these must contain minimum of 3 ladies] The weather was perfect for the early starters who began their stage from Chipping Campden at 7.00am but it became progressively warmer for those running the afternoon stages, which culminate with the final leg into Bath.
Each runner has to navigate themselves, the only markers being the official Way signs: not always easy to see when running. Each stage also has a cut off time that the run has to be completed in. This year was the most successful ever for the club with the Veteran Boars taking 8th place in 13.33.29 out of 100 teams and 3rd Veteran team. The winning team were Stroud AC Senior Men who finished in 12.11.29. The 2nd FODAC team, Forest Deers came in 48th and 19th in category in a time of 16.04.08 and the third, the Squirrels, were 78th and 40th in category in 17.17.10.
The winning FODAC team were Julian Boon, Dan Sanford, Dave Lothian, Scott Berry, Peter Lloyd, Helen Brown, Chris Penny, Leyton Fleet, Richard Pegler and Daren Smith. Notable individual triumphs were Helen Brown who was first lady on her leg and Chris Penny who was 2nd on his.
