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A message from Father Onn
Its hard to believe that another year has passed and the Wedding Day now in its twenty seventh incarnation is only weeks away. Anyway, entries are now open and the first few have started to arrive. If you want to run you can print off a form or enter on line via sportsystems.net/weddingday. I'll be planning an email shot to remind people to enter but as you've made it this far you must be thinking of entering - so don't delay do it today!
Thanks to all of you who sponsored a Wedding Gift last year. We're going to do it again this year. Just follow the instructions below.
I look forward to welcoming you to Bushy Parkon the 27th July.
Bless you!
Father Onn
| Race details |
The course remains unchanged. The start and finish are adjacent to Hampton Hill Cricket Club. From the start, after approx. 1 km., the race follows a single large loop which avoids any clash with traffic using the car park. There is 150 metres on grass at the start and finish, plus a longer length of approx. 1 km in the middle part of the route on grass and track. Once the loop has been completed the route retraces the initial 1 km. to the finish. Please note that a substantial part of the route is on tarmac roads and paths, so spikes are not suitable.
As always the route will be fully marshalled, so there is no danger of getting lost. Although we have avoided the traffic, we cannot guarantee freedom from the deer. They are unlikely to be a problem, but if necessary, give them space.
Although the race has always been billed as "The Wedding Day 7 km", until 2002
the distance had never been measured accurately.
That year, when we made a small adjustment to the course, we took the
opportunity to measure it carefully. The original course was 7.27 km and in
2002 the distance was 7.38 km. The new distance is 7.15 km. We hope to keep
this course for a number of years to come. See also below under
History.
The race will start just inside the Hampton Hill park gates at 7.30 prompt. Please follow the marshals' instructions.
We will be using gun chip timing again this year to produce speedy results.
Don't forget to bring your race number with you and to fasten it to the FRONT of
your running vest or T-shirt following the instructions printed on the back of the number.
Please fill in your emergency contact details on the back of the number with a ball-point pen
or waterproof marker. Although we've got chip timing it's still important that your race number
should be clearly seen at the finish. Please do not let anyone else run with
your number as this could affect the integrity of our results system, and could
be a serious problem in the case of accident or illness. If you find you cannot
run, someone else can run with your number, but they must register at the late
entry desk. There will be a £2 supplementary charge for this.
If you lose your race number a replacement can be issued on the evening. Please come to the help desk.
Apart from this, no entries will be available on the night.
There is limited changing at Hampton Hill Cricket Club which is located inside the park, but if you can arrive ready to run this is helpful. Kit bags may be left in the baggage tent - at your own risk.
As well as the limited toilet facilities at the cricket club you can also use the toilets at the United Reformed Church (to be confirmed) just outside main park gates in Hampton Hill. In addition there are toilets in the Rising Sun and The Star pubs close to the park. Ladies - if there is a queue in the cricket club please use these additional facilities.
An Enquiry Desk will be open at Hampton Hill Cricket Club from 6.30 - 7.15 pm.
| How to enter |
Competitors from 2005 and 2006 should have been contacted via email. Otherwise, Otherwise, go to the Wedding Day site for on-line entry or to print an entry form. Because of the UK Athletics rules under which the race operates the youngest age for which entries will be accepted is 15.
The race entry fee for 2006 has increased. This is to take account of the full cost of T shirts and the cost of chip timing.
Entries are non-transferable. If you find you cannot run and want someone else to use your number, they must register this transfer - see above under Race numbers
| Getting there |
By rail : The nearest BR stations are Fulwell (Shepperton line from Waterloo),
¾ mile from the start and Teddington (Shepperton line and Kingston/Richmond
loop) 1¾ miles from the start.
Leave Fulwell station by the south side (the side trains from London stop) and
turn right onto the footpath. When this meets the main road, turn left and
follow this road for 1/2 mile to a petrol station. Immediatley after this, turn
left into the park gate.
From Teddington station turn left out of the booking office into Victoria Road.
At the end of this road turn right and immediately left into Avenue
Gardens which brings you to the main park gate. Go down Chestnut Avenue till
you meet a road on the right and follow this to the race start.
By bus: Routes 285, R68 and R70 pass the park gate in Hampton Hill, and the 33, 481 and X26 stop in Teddington Broad Street, which is about a mile from the start.
By road : Head for the A311, which is the High Street, Hampton Hill. Look out
for The Rising Sun and The Star pubs; the race starts just inside the park
gates opposite the United Reformed Church. Parking is limited to the local
streets so please park with respect for the residents.
There is a car park in the park about 3/4 mile from the start, but to reach
this you must enter the park either at Teddington or at Hampton Court (there is
no vehicle access from Hampton Hill). There is also a car park on the Hampton
Court Road, which is about a mile and a half from the start. Note also that the
traffic gates to the park are closed at dusk.
A map can be found on multimap.com.
| Children's Run |
There will be an informal children's run of up to 1.5 miles while the main race is taking place. Entry in advance is not required, please listen for announcements on the day. There is no charge for this race.
| Results |
A results booklet will be available after the race at a cost of £2. Leave your race number at the Enquiry Desk with your money and we will send you the race results soon after the race. We do not require an envelope. Results should also be available via this web site and details will be posted here as soon as possible after the race.
In order to ensure the integrity of the results, Once you have crossed the line, please move away from the finish area. If you later run in with another runner, please drop out well before the finish line. Do not cross the line a second time.
| Prize Giving |
This will be at the Cricket Pavilion soon after the race. As usual you can enjoy a beer, (or some other drink), while you wait for the results. Why not bring a picnic or enjoy the barbecue? Prizes will be awarded in the following categories:
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* This team prize is for any team - friends, work colleagues, from a pub etc. The only restriction is that only one member of the team may be a member of an affiliated club. If you are entering a team in this category decide on a team name and ensure that all your entrants give the same team name on their entry forms. The first three finishers from your team will score.
In addition to the above, a number of special prizes are also awarded:
The prize list may be extended if more prizes are donated.
| Sponsors |
Like all weddings we have a gift list. The more things on our gift list that can be sponsored, the more we can give to charity! E-mail the wedding day mailbox to find out more.
A big thanks to our 2006 sponsors.
The Big Picture
The Big Picture was a new sponsor for the 2003 Wedding Day, and we appreciate
their continuing support. The are a specialist marketing agency with a focus
on brand marketing.
48 The Green, Twickenham, TW2 5AB, England
Tel 020 8744 5500
Email: mail@bigpicture.co.uk.
MaxSports
MaxSports is run by Malcolm and Debbie McBride. With a surname like that you
would hardly be surprised to find them associated with the Wedding Day, which
they have supported for the past six years. Malcolm won the Wedding Day in 1993
and Debbie is a regular competitor! Visit them for all your running and
sporting requirements at:
34 London Road, Twickenham Tel 020 8744 1232
As well as our main sponsors we are grateful for the prizes donated by the many local businesses in the Teddington, Twickenham, Hampton and Kingston areas.
Charities
Like most races the Wedding Day raises funds for its parent club The
Stragglers. However as the race has grown more funds from the race have been
diverted to charity. From the 2005 race almost £1100 was given to the following
charities.
The Wedding Day 7K is also able to support these charities because of the
support we get from our sponsors.
Thank you for supporting the race. Without you we would not be able to make
these donations.
This race only takes place with the permission of the Royal Park and it is imperative that everyone respects their conditions. Misuse of the Park will put the race in jeopardy. Please make use of toilet facilities either outside the Park (at the Star, the Rising Sun or United Reformed Church as available) or in the cricket pavilion !
We look forward to seeing you and wish you an enjoyable run.
| History |
Why the "Wedding Day"? The race was first run on Thursday 29 July 1981, which
was a bank holiday marking the wedding day of Prince Charles and Diana,
Princess of Wales.
The race was then organised by the London Road Runners Club: when this club
ceased to exist, the Stragglers took over the organisation. Rumour has it that
when the race was first planned, there was some discussion about whether to go
round the loop twice, or three times to make it a 10 km race. The organisers
repaired to the pub to discuss these possibilities - the rest, as they say, is
history.
Since 1982, the race has been run every year on the last Friday in July, so
this year's race is the 25th.
There is a full list of past winners on this
site.
| © The Stragglers 2006 - Updated 16th June by Mike Bangham |
