The Great Welsh Leek Relay 2011
The Great Welsh Leek Relay 2010, a set on Flickr.
What started last year as an office discussion on how we can raise the issue of Food miles in Wales, has now almost turned into a full blow annual event in its own right.
The Great Welsh Leek Relay last year involved members of Bridgend Athletic Club running, cycling and swimming with a freshly picked leek from a field in Buckley in North Wales, all the way down to Bridgend in time to open the Wales Alternative Food Festival.
“The idea was to show how food over great distance does not travel so well” said Head of Welsh Athletics and double Olympian Marathon Runner Steve Brace was one of the three elite athletes who completed the task ” It was such an usual thing to do and a great way to promote the beauty of Wales while raising awareness of the Food Miles issue. We’re delighted to be involved with this unique Welsh event again this year, and so looking forward to seeing the huge support that we get en route. It helps massively.”
This year, Steve heads a team of elite athletes once more for the Great Welsh Lek Relay which will start in Bangor on Tuesday 27th September, weave its way down to Portmeirion by Wednesday 28th, then on to Aberaeron by Thursday 29th. It will leave Swansea on 30th September on a short leg to Bridgend to officially open the Wales Alternative Food Festival in Bridgend appropriately around about lunchtime.
You can check their progress as they snake their way down through Wales on twitter http://www.twitter.com/followtheleek or #leekrelay
Calling all runners in Bridgend
The Great Welsh Leek Relay will be starting at 8.30am tomorrow morning from Buckley in Flintshire. The leek after travelling 230 miles over land and lake will be arriving in Bridgend town centre at approx 12.00pm on Friday 1st October to open Feastival. Anyone wanting to take part in the last mile or so of the run, you’ll be most welcome.
We will be stopping just outside of Bridgend to allow runners to congregate and run the final stretch to Tesco in town. At Tesco there will be another pick up point for people who wish to take part but do not want to run the final mile! If you don’t fancy running then perhaps you would like to take part in the welcoming committee on Adare St at 12pm. Please come out and support the arrival of the leek and help us raise funds for Finlay Brunt via the fixfinlay fund. There will also be an update board in Bridgend indoor market charting our progress!
