Sunday 14th September 2025

A beautiful race report from our super cherry 🍒 Claire Keith on an epic day in the New Forest.

The New Forest Marathon 🌳 is a special event for my family. My Dad is the only runner to have completed all of the first 30 full marathons (including his epic 2:41 PB) 💙 My brother, his wife and I have tried to continue the tradition, but due to my 7 year break in running and a long injury last year, I hadn’t run it since 2016. It was my turn to lace up and get back on the trails 🏃‍♀️

Since starting back in 1983, the route has changed a few times. After stopping in 2013, it found new organisers amd relaunched in 2015 moving from New Milton to start in Brockenhurst, right in the heart of the New Forest 🌳 The course is made up of forest tracks, trails and short road sections, with most of the hills coming in the second half. They now offer distances ranging from the marathon, half marathon, 10k, 5k, junior race and woodland work, (and welcome well behaved dogs 🐶), so is very inclusive. There’s a great atmosphere in the race village with a real festival feel, live music, food, and bars to celebrate afterwards.

A storm has been forecast for race day ☔️ and although I don’t mind the rain, I wasn’t looked forward to the 45 mph winds 🌬 Thankfully, the wind didn’t hit until mile 10, and it wasn’t as bad as forecast. By the end of my run, it started to get very bad, and I really felt for those still on the course 💨🌧

After a short warm-up jog, to literally warm up as it was just 6 degrees at the start 🥶 I set off to the start. I had a hope to sneak in under 3:30, but I knew the most important thing that day was to enjoy it and finish feeling good.

I set off and felt pretty comfortable. The scenery was just incredible and I really was having a great time 🙌 I had a little blip at the first water stop where I had planned to grab a bottle to carry with me, but they had helpfully (but not for me) removed all the lids for ease. So I needed to stop and wait while they found one with a lid. I held on to that lid for the whole run to avoid the same issue 😂

I reached half way in 1:35:53 and was really pleased as I was ahead of target 🎯 and had safely banked some time to get me round the second half with more challenging weather and the bigger hills to face. I was starting to believe that sub 3:30 could be possible, but trying not to get too excited!🤞

The second half seemed to be as comfortable and enjoyable as the first half, with an added surprise of some of my Bournemouth friends meeting me at mile 20 and shouting, “Up The Cherries!” 🍒⚽️ A real boost!

Before I knew it, I could see the finish line. As I crossed, I looked down at my watch and couldn’t believe what I was seeing 👀 I don’t know how it happened – a real ‘pinch me’ moment. It just all seemed to fall into place, and if this is my forever PB, then I am over the moon! 🤗 I finished with a smile and feeling good. Part of the tradition again, and that makes it so special ❤️

🎤 An inspiring account of a wonderful day on the trails Claire.  What Claire doesn’t mention is that she won the marathon too 🏆 for the second year in a row 🙌 ⭐️ Congratulations on that new PB, for defending your title 🙌 and how beautiful to continue on the family tradition 🍒