Rat Race – The Wall Relay 2018

(16^th Jun)

 

Well it's been a fantastic weekend supporting amazing people. The adventure started around 4.45pm on Friday when I picked up Lynn, we then went onto to collect Warwick and headed Cawfields to meet Lesley and Kathryn. We left Cawfields in 1 car and god knows how we fit all of the gear and 5 people in 1 car. 
We needed to Carlisle for the registration and to meet Craig. Simon had already registered and Lisa was heading over after work. The teams got registered and collected all their trackers, tshirt etc and had a natter with the lovely Ross and Laura. We went onto our hotel and Craig headed home. Next stop was Nando's once we'd eaten we headed back to the hotel as we had an early start. 
Back to the hotel and we soon realised sleep wasn't going to be easy due to the fact there was a nightclub opposite. The earplugs didn't help that much either. 
So Saturday was an early start. Got up about 5.30am got sorted and had a cuppa before the 5 of us headed to Carlisle Castle for the start and to meet Lisa, Craig and Simon and met John. 
The team gathered at the start to listen to the briefing then at 7am Lesley and Lynn headed off towards Lanercost on the first leg. Once they'd set off myself, Kathryn, Warwick, Craig and John headed back to our hotel and then wetherspoons across the road for breakfast. We then dropped John off back for work and then headed to Lanercost to meet Lynn and Lesley.
Once at Lanercost Craig was eager to get going, we'd realised that only 1 tracker was working so Craig got his team tracker changed. We hadn't been there long when Warwick's wife, daughter and dog arrived with his trainers. (Has he mentioned he forgot them 😂) Not long later and Lesley came through the first Pitstop smiling with Ross and his mates closely followed by Lynn. Craig didn't hang around and soon went off like a whippet. Lesley refuelled whilst we sorted out her trainers (de-sanded).  She then set off with Ross and Co. The girls had done 15 miles rather than the expected 13 miles.
Leg 2 was underway so myself, Kathryn, Lynn and Warwick went to the tea rooms for a cuppa with his wife and daughter. We had a quick cuppa and then headed to Cawfields. Enroute to Cawfields we passed many runners so we tooted the horn and shouted well done through the windows. 
We finally arrived at the next pitstop and struggled to park. Once parked up we took all the necessary bags out the car to wait on Craig and Lesley. Warwick and Kathryn got themselves ready for their leg 3 and Lisa was already there. Craig soon came flying in in fact we nearly missed him. We went over to the tent to meet him. His words were right I'm having a quick sandwich then I'll be off again he'd covered 12 miles but thought he had 14 to do so thought he had to keep going. He was again bit disappointed when I told him he was finished. Warwick quickly got the emergency phone and tracker and headed off towards Hexham. The runners were coming in thick and fast. We couldn't track Lesley due to there being no signal so we just had to wait. She soon came in smiling again with Ross and Co. Kathryn was ready for the off to Hexham after tracker and emergency phone exchange. The weather was changing and the rain kept getting heavier.
Leg 3 were enroute to the next pitstop at Hexham. Once we knew Lesley and Craig were okay myself and Lynn headed to Hexham. 
On the way to Hexham we tooted at more runners giving encouragement along the way. We got to Hexham around 2.45pm and the sun was shining. Simon and Donna arrived at the same time. Warwick's wife and daughter arrived too. Myself and Lynn grabbed a cuppa and something to eat. Not long later Warwick arrived around 30 mins earlier than expected. Another tracker and phone exchange and he was off for the 4th leg to Newburn. Warwick got himself refuelled and hydrated and we waited on Kathryn to arrive. The sun soon disappeared and the heavens opened. It was cosy in the event tent. Lisa and Dave headed to Newburn with her car and the rest of us chilled for bit and nattered whilst trying not to look at the bare bums that kept appearing as people were changing 😂. We realised that Kathryn's tracker had also stopped working so although we knew she was nearly at Hexham I knew we couldn't hang around as the rest of Team Wall in it Together needed to get to Newburn. 
I took Lynn, Craig and Warwick to Newburn. We hadn't been there long before Simon had completed his leg. The team gathered for a photo and then started leg 5 and the last 7 miles to the Quayside. 
I got a call to say Kathryn had finished and that Lisa had started leg 4 for the Blyth Rat Pack and she was heading to Newburn. Kathryn and Lesley stayed in Hexham to see Ross come through the pitstop. 
Lesley and Kathryn soon arrived at Newburn, we had a quick exchange of bags and then myself and Donna

 headed to the Quayside laddened with bags for the team finishing. We were nearly there when Lynn called to say they'd finished. We'd missed them 😔 they were 5th team through the finish and had done amazing. We handed over the finish bags exchanged cuddles and then myself and Craig followed Simon and Donna and headed back to Newburn. We'd just arrived when Lisa got there and team Blyth Rat Pack were ready for the final leg 5. They were doing amazing. Whilst at Newburn again Craig grabbed some cup cakes and we collected his car then headed back to the Quayside. 
Once back at the Quayside we unpacked more bags and headed into HMS Calliope and we were met by Elaine and Aysha