Due to circumstances, including the sad loss of one of the key organisers, the Parrett Trail Relay race was not a published event for 2017 as it could not be run in its traditional format.
However, we trialed a revised format of the race on Saturday 7 October 2017 [see outline below] with the aim of reviving the formal event in 2018.
The trial was run informally with several 'home' teams to mimic a published event and test the set up. We also welcomed teams from other clubs to join us, to give the revised format a proper workout.
While this was a purely social affair [no fees, prizes or permits] we anticipated some runners being competitive, wishing to set benchmark times for the various legs while hunting for team and personal glory.
Outline of Revised Format:
The race comprised two baton style relays, each having up to four separate defined legs, with real-time handovers between the legs.
The first relay started at 09:00hrs at Steart marshes and ran through to Langport, finishing from about midday onward. The second relay started at 13:00hrs, running from Langport through to the traditional finish at Winyards.
Honours will be awarded based on the overall time to complete the whole race, being the accumulated time taken for both relays.
Competing teams were expected to 'self navigate' and 'self support' between the start and finish of each relay, as well as record their individual leg times [to be 'handed in' at finish for use in the final results table].
Individual legs averaged around 10k, long enough to be a worthy test but short enough to allow for multiple contiguous legs to be run by keen individuals. Also the Langport intermission allowed for some regrouping of the quicker and slower teams, while still keeping the feel of a continuous event.
[page last updated/amended 12/01/18]