New Forest 🌳

Sunday 27th April 2025 ☀️

Our incredible 🍒 Claire Keith has sent in this remarkable report of her New Forest trail marathon.  What she doesn’t mention is that she actually won 🏆 the race for the ladies and finished an epic 4th overall! All this whilst raising money and awareness for Prostate Cancer 💙🖤 🤍

……..On April 27th, it was time to take on the 2nd marathon of my challenge for Prostate Cancer UK in support of my Dad, who is currently fighting it 💪

I had headed down on the Friday afternoon with Dean and my 2 boys so that we could make a mini holiday of it as I do love Bournemouth and the New Forest 🥰

I’d picked this event as everything in my challenge needed significance, and the sister event in the New Forest is where my Dad achieved his PB of 2:41 all those years ago 🚀

I felt calm at the race village, and even as I stood at the start line. I’d put behind me the fuelling/hydration/cramp trouble of my marathon 3 weeks earlier and had tested some gels out on the trails that I felt happy with. So I knew whatever the time and pace, this was a marathon I would be able to enjoy with no expectation other than to hopefully finish feeling strong and happy 🤞

It’s a beautiful 2 lap course, starting and finishing at Wimborne St Giles Estate, running through woods, rural tracks, and farmland. It is undulating throughout with a handful of challenging hills, which definitely felt more mountainous on the 2nd way round! It was a very hot day, but the wooded sections helped with that, alongside the fantastic marshals at the water stations keeping us hydrated ☀️🚰

I was having a great time and even had a nice long chat about marathons and ultras with another runner from mile 8-13. But mile 24 hit me hard as I joined the only tarmac section of the route again, which climbs back up towards the woods. I dug deep and kept going despite my legs screaming at me to stop! When I finally reached mile 25, I felt like my energy had all gone, but this was the mile I had dedicated to my Dad, so I said out loud, “This one’s for you, Dad. I know you’ve got my back.” And he did! 🤗

It’s a great event with races of all distances from 200m up to a full marathon, meaning all ages (and dogs, yes they get a medal too) can join in. There’s a great festival feel with camping available, live music and bands in the race village and plenty to do and eat before and after 🍻🥁🎶🏕

Would I do it again? I’ve already entered for 2026! 🙌

I completed my challenge 3 days later.

🎤 A superb run Claire 🍒, your dad and your family must be so proud of you, I know we all are 🖤♥️ Thank you for a brilliant report 🫶