An invitation – 2nd  to 4th June 2012 

We invite you to join us to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the LDWA, to experience some of the excitement of the 2012 Olympic Games and be at the centre of the celebrations for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee all in one fun filled weekend! We make no apologies for bringing you to London. This will be a different type of 100 but we are sure it will be one to remember.

We start in the veritable shadow of the Olympic Stadium, absorbing some of the excitement that is building already for the Olympics in August. We link several London Olympic sites to enter verdant Surrey. There we visit locations associated with the founding of the LDWA, and a further rural Olympic venue, and finally finish in Windsor close to Windsor Castle! There will be some walking in an urban environment but if you do not know London you will be surprised at the number and variety of green spaces we pass through.

With the Olympic Games an inspiration for the event, the project has been recognised under the London 2012 Games Inspire programme and a separate webpage covers this.

The event will take place over the Spring Bank Holiday, Saturday 2nd  June to Monday 4th June, 2012. This is also the Queen’s 60th Anniversary weekend so both the Monday and Tuesday are bank holidays. The walk, which is a linear route, has its start HQ near the Olympic Park, London and finishes in Trevelyan Middle School Windsor (SU 962754). Buses will be provided (separate fee payable) to transport entrants and supporters from the school at Windsor to the start HQ on Saturday morning. Car parking will be provided at Windsor for a small fee. Arrangements will be made for the transport of baggage as appropriate. There is no car parking at the start HQ although the area is well served by public transport.

Entry is in advance only and is open. It is possible online by SiEntries or by entry form. The latter is available to download from this web site or by sending a sae for an entry form to Norman Corrin, 68 Montgomery Crescent, Bolbeck Park, Milton Keynes, MK15 8PS.

We hope the majority of you will be able to enter by SiEntries. It removes the use of paper (particularly the need to produce evidence of qualifying events) and reduces the administrative work that falls on the Entries Secretary. However for those entrants who are unable or do not wish to use SiEntries we will continue to provide the facility to enter in the traditional way.

Registration for the event opened initially on Sunday 16th October and closed on Sunday 20th November, 2011. As fewer than 550 entries were received by 20th November no ballot was required and all valid entries were accepted, subject to payment being made. The remaining places will be filled on a first come first served basis.  All entrants will need to have completed an approved qualifying event between  1st  January 2011 and 30th  April 2012.  Entries will close on Monday 30th April 2012. No credit cards will be debited or cheques presented until entries are confirmed. Notices of rejection, including any returned entry fees, were sent from 4th December 2011. Entry for remaining places opened on 19 December, 2011.

The Marshals’ walk took place on the 5th to 7th May, 2012. Entry was limited to 50 places and is only for entrants who have completed a qualifying event and who are helping on the event in a key role, as decided by the organisers. Applications opened on the 16th October, 2011 until full. An application form is downloadable from the web site or contact Dave Yorston at 3, Lodge Lane, Prestwood, Great Missenden, Bucks HP16 0SS, phone 01494 868371 (not after 9 p.m.) or e mail dave.yorston@hotmail.co.uk

This website will develop further over the coming months. A list of qualifying events was added in August 2-11 and further events in 2012 added in December 2011 and detailed route informnation and a roiute gallery in February 2012. As well as all the information on how to enter, the site provides help on travel and accommodation options and will include lots of information on the sights en route which may be of interest to entrants and supporters.

We will also need many volunteers to help with this event, more than is normal. These will include helping with route direction and safety, particularly in the early sections of the walk. If you could spare even a short space of time, and would like to assist as a volunteer as well as help cheer on our entrants, we would be pleased to hear from you. One or two checkpoints remain to be taken by a group. If  your group is not already involved, and would be able to help, please get in touch with Neil Higham (neil.higham1@tesco.net).

Page version information: Updated 08 February 2012 with route track and description links and minor location changes (start HQ, checkpoints, etc).