(11 March '10: scroll to the bottom for Events and Results)
Guy is about to do the Abu Dhabi Triathlon - 1.5km swim, 100km(!) cycle, 10km run... good luck!!
More photos on Welsh Guards Run Arabia Facebook
Now sponsored by SOVEREIGN - thank you!!
Also featuring on Abu Dhabi TV - http://www.thenational.ae/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100223/MULTIMEDIA/100221990/0/multimedia
Dubai Embassy Drinks Party on 19th March also taking place to raise money
Ahlan Was Ahlan! Croeso! Welcome!
Thank you for visiting the Welsh Guards' UAE fundraising page for the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal and thank you for sponsoring our Run Arabia campaign.
Our intention is to run every major long-distance running event in the UAE taking place over the 'winter' months of November 2009 through to February 2010. Our current plan is to run a total of around 200kms in competition races including 3 half-marathons, a marathon and an ultra-marathon (72kms). Scroll to the bottom to see the details of the challenge and results.
We are all either serving or recently retired Welsh Guards officers posted to or living in the UAE. The Welsh Guards' recent tour to in left a number of its soldiers seriously wounded. Many of them require long-term medical support and assistance in finding employment on medical discharge from the Army. We also lost soldiers and officers killed in action, some of whom were close friends of ours. The Appeal also raises money for their familes and dependants, supporting them through the most difficult time of their lives.
The story will not end here and neither will the sacrifices made by all members of the Armed Forces and their familes. Dormant psychological injuries remain and the 's commitment to the ongoing operation in will likely see the Welsh Guards Battalion deploy to again.
The Welsh Guards is a family regiment. The Appeal will continue its good work throughout the Battalion's future deployments and will continue to support its family of guardsmen and their dependents, past and present.
We are raising money for the Welsh Guards Appeal which will support:
* the families and dependants of those killed in action by responding promptly to problems of bereavement and hardship
* those wounded on operations, particularly those who have had to leave the Army; to assist in finding them new employment and to help them become active family and community members
* the families and dependants of those seriously wounded or injured in prolonged recovery situations.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - We raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the Appeal.
So please dig deep and donate now. Thanks! Rhod, Guy and Jamie
9 Nov 09 - So Guy takes a 1- 0 lead over his younger colleagues in the first race, with Rod complaining that his poor performance was due to an all-nighter with some other ex-military friends in the Middle East until 2 hours before the race and Jamie unable to get his admin sorted in time to register for the first race.
13 Nov 09 - The first half marathon was very nearly a non-event due to our missing the registration deadline. But some good scavenging work from Guy pestering the organisers for a reserve place and our first groupie (Anna Divies) managing to donate her boyfriend's ticket to Rod meant that we were 2/3 present. So in case Mike Schmidt does his usual internet investigation when he should be working, Rod was running as Barry Cosgrave (491).
Heat played a bigger factor today, slowing Guy down so much that even Rod caught him on the line. A sprightly 14kph pace slowed about half-way round the course as the temperature pushed through 30 degrees celcius with the sun beating down and bouncing off the Abu Dhabi streets. So a touch of heat stroke and a belter of a blister to show for today's efforts, but that's 2 down with 5 to go...
Still a nil-nil draw on the WAGs support so far, but a 5am start on your weekend to watch some running is a hard sell!
Just a 10-mile (warm down!) next week in Mirdiff. Jamie has promised to show up for that one and has looked into running the Beirut marathon in December to make up for his absence so far. Good lad.
20 Nov 09 – It was Guy’s turn to be absent this morning with a touch of man/bird/swine flu or something. The Mirdif 10-miler ‘Donut’ course promised something new... “hills”! It has to be said that for the Brecon-initiated, these 20m inclines were not really a factor but are apparently big news in Dubai. A good time for Rod despite having girlie-long hair; Jamie has now been scared into doing some training at last. Dubai Half Marathon next – maybe we’ll all be at that one...
1 Dec 09 – The Welsh Guards received their Afghanistan medals today in Aldershot. Congratulations to all.
12 Dec 09 - The Dubai Half Marathon saw all three team members starting this race! A considerable improvement in the half marathon times by all matched an improvement in the course, which ran along both sides of the Dubai Creek. This is where the fishing village of Dubai originated from, when it was called 'Deira' - so there is some history here after all.
Thank you so much to those who have donated so far and a big thank you to Michael Howley, who donated 500 pounds directly to the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal on our behalf. This has been our biggest single contribution so far.
Merry Christmas to you all. We look forward to the final 3 events next year, including the Wadi Bih where the Regimental Adutant, Colonel Tom Bonas, has promised to run for the team.
22 Jan 10 - Sharing the stage with the WG Run Arabia team was Haile Gebrselassie at the Dubai Marathon 2010. Haile said he was disappointed to have not broken the world record today, but thanked the Welsh Guards team for pacing his record attempt up to the 34km marker. "They look fantastic in their new running shirts" he said, "it's a shame that they all decided to carry a fridge for the remaining 8km of the race".
The 'fridge pick-up' moment took it's toll on all three of us with the pace dropping significantly for an agonising, leg-burning finish... but cross the finish line we did, even though we could see it from 20km away down the long straight Jumeira Beach Road!
Well done Jamie for 'forgetting' to register; well done Rod for getting hold of a ticket for him the night before the race. Well done Guy for promising to take Mum to watch the golf back in Abu Dhabi that afternoon, but then crashing out on the sofa for the rest of the day!
2 events to go and we look forward to having the Regimental Adjutant and Emma Bartle-Jones join the team for the Wadi Bih 72km relay...
12 February – Wadi Delighted to be joined by Emma Bartle-Jones and Tom Bonas to make up our team of 5 for this 72km relay through the Hajar mountains in . With some very striking scenery for a backdrop, each member carries the baton for a number of legs of the race while the remainder of the team drives by 4x4 to the next checkpoint. There is over 900m of ascent on the course with some of the toughest climbing taking place during the heat of the day.There was some very determined running from all members of the team, who finished in a combined time of 6 hours and 13 minutes on .
The WG team ‘doubled-up’ on a number of the race legs to make sure that Tom completed the distance of half a marathon - as promised to his sponsors. All those who donated: thank you so much. This has contributed 1,155 pounds to our off-line donations.
The team have the Ras Al Khaimah half marathon to run next week to complete their 8-event campaign, but the fund-raising has not stopped. We are co-hosting a drinks party at the British Embassy in on 19 March with Help for Heroes, so our target remains within our grasp. Please keep up the support…
19 Feb 10 - RAK Half Marathon. And so, the final run in our campaign. The half marathon in Ras Al Khaimah is one of the more popular half marathons and saw over 800 runners taking part. There was some cheeky nudging of the pace from Guy for the first 10k, before declaring that he was going to save himself for the camel polo later on and that Rod should "keep going"! The nudge was good as both Rod and Guy knocked over a minute off their 'season best' for this distance. Jamie, meanwhile, was busy taking photos and managed to lob an extra 6 minutes onto his best time in Dubai as a result.
As though this was not enough excitement for one day, Guy found himself that afternoon leading the Guards camel polo team, beating the Cavalry 3-0 in Dubai. Good show!
The events have been good fun and a good excuse to get up early on the weekend for some competitive exercise. I can't say that we're going to grumble about getting our Friday morning lie-in back though!! Poor old Guy has found himself heading down from Abu Dhabi at 3am almost every single time.
We haven't finished yet...
We are also co-hosting a fund-raising drinks party at the British Embassy in Dubai on March 19th 2010 with Help for Heroes, where some of the proceeds are going to the WG Afghanistan Appeal. Contact Rhodri for details: 00971 504462824
13 Mar 10 - Abu Dhabi Triathlon. Making best use of his increased fitness, Guy has found a bike, swimming cap and 'pest-suit' to take part in the Abu Dhabi Triathlon. 1.5km of swimming, 100km(!) of cycling and 10km of running makes it a very cycle-heavy event and Guy has been training like mad, hoping to finish in under 5 hours 30mins. Will update you with the results...
The inaugral Abu Dhabi Triahlon was quite an experience! I had not appreciated quite how much admin was required and that it was more akin to deploying on a Battalion exercise! The swim element was chaos at the start and not too deisimilar to letting the bull out on the streets in Pamplona! The highlight of the bike ride was cycling round teh Yas Formula 1 circuit albeit at 20MPH! As for the run - fighing off 33 degrees and heat stroke was the challenge! I can now enter triathlon retirement with one tri pest suit very much up for sale! Jamie T. it's made for you! GBJ
Thank you so much to all those who have donated. It really has been an inspiration to all five of us and the Welsh Guards Afghanistan Appeal are extermely grateful for your support.
EVENTS AND RESULTS
Dubai Sports Run - 7 Nov 09 - 8km
Guy - 0:34:20
Rhodri - 0:37:10
Jamie - Too Fast
