The Bournemouth AC contingent experienced a day of mixed fortunes at the New Forest Marathon, with some sensational successes as well as some disappointing and costly mishaps. Stu Nicholas produced a superb performance to claim victory in the marathon in 2:43:47, while Kitty Cook delivered an excellent run to finish sixth female in 3:27:39.

There were plenty of reasons to celebrate in the Half Marathon too, with Vic Chapman taking second female, Kate Bowers and Helen Beddoe both recording personal bests, whilst Chris O’Brien and Sanjai Sharma put in strong performances despite the challenges presented by the undulating course.

There was an unfortunate turn of events in the Half Marathon though which saw Luke Martin being sent the wrong way whilst he was in second place and going extremely well. That put a slight dampener on an otherwise excellent day out for the south coasters.

The New Forest Marathon has a reputation for being a flat and fast event, but anyone who has tackled its 800ft of elevation might beg to differ. With plenty of climbs, some lengthy uphill stretches and very little genuinely flat ground, it is a course that rewards sensible pacing, strength and determination. Fortunately, Bournemouth AC had all three in abundance.

Marathon: Stu Nicholas takes commanding victory

Stu Nicholas arrived in the New Forest in excellent form, having already enjoyed a terrific season over a variety of distances. He won the Norfolk Marathon in the spring in 2:46:52 and followed that up with second place at the North Dorset Village Marathon in 2:47:15.

His more recent performances suggested there could be even more to come. He finished ninth at the Stur Half in 1:18:08, fourth at the Totton 10K in 34:17 and seventh at the Overton 5 in 27:25. He is also currently third in the men’s individual standings of the Hampshire Road Race League.

The question was whether he could turn that form into another marathon victory. As it turned out, he answered that question emphatically.

Stu wasted little time getting into his stride, opening with a 5:53 mile before following it with a 5:57 and a 6:02. Even an early climb in the fourth mile failed to knock him too far off course, with a 6:10 followed by a return to 6:01 for mile five.

The sixth mile brought another hill, but Stu remained composed, recording a 6:19 before continuing with a 6:16 and a 6:11. Another uphill section in mile nine resulted in a 6:22, but he was soon back down to 6:08 for each of the next two miles.

At this point, he was maintaining an impressive rhythm despite the increasingly demanding terrain. Mile 12 came in at 6:10 before the course served up a more substantial challenge in the shape of three predominantly uphill miles.

Stu tackled them with aplomb, recording 6:21, 6:23 and 6:38. He then managed 6:29 for mile 16 and 6:22 for mile 17 before the eighteenth mile brought another 6:38.

The climbing continued, and mile 19 took 6:47 as Stu reached the top of the incline. It was a demanding stretch, and the following mile came in at 6:45, but a welcome downhill section offered some respite over miles 21 and 22.

Stu took advantage, recording 6:17 and 6:24 before settling into the final stages with a 6:36 for mile 23. With the finish now within reach, he kept pressing on and brought the job home in 2:43:47.

It was a magnificent performance on a course that was anything but straightforward, and it proved more than enough to secure the overall victory. His nearest rival, James Pottle, finished in 2:51:28, some 7 minutes and 41 seconds behind. Tim Rooke of Poole AC took third in 2:52:45, with Daniel Betney of Wimborne AC fourth in 2:56:18.

For Stu, it was another excellent marathon result in a season that has already seen him demonstrate remarkable consistency. Having won the Norfolk Marathon and finished runner-up at North Dorset, he can now add a commanding New Forest victory to an already impressive collection.

Kitty’s brilliant pacing delivers a sub-3:30 breakthrough

Kitty Cook also had plenty of reasons to feel confident heading into the marathon. Her running had been going from strength to strength, with her 5K time down to 19 minutes and her 10K PB improved to 41:18.

She had also been locked in a closely fought battle for the Upton Summer Series title, eventually finishing a narrow second behind former Bournemouth AC runner Helen O’Neile.

Kitty had been putting herself through some serious endurance tests. She tackled both the Blackmore Vale Half Marathon and the Stur Half in blisteringly hot conditions and, alongside partner and fellow Bournemouth AC runner Tom Casson, completed the entire 78-mile Capital Ring walking route around London over four days. They were running it though, mostly.

Those experiences provided plenty of evidence of her determination, but the New Forest Marathon would be a different challenge altogether.

Having run the Manchester Marathon in 3:58 last year, Kitty had made significant progress since then and arrived with the tantalising prospect of breaking the 3:30 barrier firmly in her sights.

The plan was to start conservatively, aiming for around five minutes per kilometre, equivalent to roughly eight-minute-mile pace. It was a sensible approach on a course with so many hills, and Kitty executed it beautifully.

The opening 10K went comfortably to plan. The flatter miles came in a little quicker than target, while the hills occasionally pushed her just over, but she remained well in control.

From miles seven to 12, she was running just under eight-minute-mile pace, building a solid platform for the tougher section ahead. Then came the long uphill stretch, which inevitably slowed things down.

Rather than fight the terrain, Kitty settled into a rhythm alongside another female runner for the next 18 kilometres. Having company proved invaluable, helping her negotiate the difficult climbs and maintain a decent pace on the flatter sections.

If anything, she was still running within herself, carefully managing her effort and keeping something in reserve for the closing stages.

That decision paid dividends. With just four kilometres remaining, Kitty was ready to push on, and she began to turn the screw.

Her 24th mile came in at 7:41 before she produced her fastest mile of the entire race, a superb 7:13 for mile 25. After spending so long managing her effort over the hills, she still had the strength to accelerate when it mattered most.

She finished with a final section at 7:21-mile pace before crossing the line in 3:27:39.

That was a fantastic achievement, comfortably inside her sub-3:30 target and a significant step forward from her previous marathon. Kitty finished sixth female and 50th overall, capping a tremendous performance that demonstrated just how far she has progressed.

The women’s race was won by Aislinn Darvell of Lonely Goat in 3:10:55, which also placed her 15th overall. Claire Keith of Hailsham Harriers finished second female in 3:16:13, with Debbie Coe taking third in 3:21:30.

For Kitty, however, the headline was clear: a brilliantly paced marathon, a substantial improvement on her previous best and a well-earned sub-3:30 finish on a course that offered very little in the way of an easy ride.

Luke Martin denied a potential podium finish after wrong turn

There was a frustrating twist in the Half Marathon, where Bournemouth AC’s Luke Martin was running superbly and had worked his way into second place before being sent the wrong way at around 10.5 miles.

Luke had made an exceptionally quick start, opening with a 5:42 mile before going even faster with a 5:36 for his second. He then settled into a strong rhythm, recording 6:07 and 6:06 for the next two miles before picking things up again with a 5:49 for mile five.

He continued to run well through the middle stages, clocking 6:16 for mile six, 6:01 for mile seven and 6:12 for mile eight. A 6:05 was followed by another impressive 6:02, before Luke produced a 5:55 for his eleventh mile.

Unfortunately, that was when things went badly wrong. Despite running strongly and sitting in second place, Luke had been directed off the half marathon course and onto the marathon route, heading downhill along a stretch he should never have been running.

It was a desperately disappointing turn of events for Luke, who had put himself in an excellent position to challenge for a podium finish. He wasn’t the only Bournemouth AC runner affected either, with Liam Marsh, who was running in third place, also sent the wrong way.

With Garmin watches among the prizes on offer for the race winners, the stakes were particularly high. Both athletes had every reason to be excited about their prospects, only for a course-navigation mishap to derail their races at a crucial stage.

Vic Chapman returns to finish as second female

Vic Chapman arrived with a half marathon PB of 1:24, although that mark had been set two and a half years earlier. The New Forest therefore offered an opportunity to see whether she could still produce a performance at that sort of level.

She answered in impressive fashion, finishing in 1:26:24 to take second female and 16th place overall.

Only Nicola Rook managed to finish ahead of her in the women’s race, crossing the line in 1:25:21 for 13th overall.

On a course that demanded plenty of strength over its numerous climbs, Vic’s performance was a terrific result and a reminder that she remains a formidable competitor over the half marathon distance.

Kate Bowers bags a PB in another strong performance

Kate Bowers was another Bournemouth AC runner arriving with good form behind her. Her most recent outing had been at the Coombe Keynes 10K, where she clocked 47:34 to finish fifth female in the opening fixture of the Purbeck Trail Series.

The New Forest half marathon would prove an even more rewarding day.

Kate began at just over seven-minute-mile pace on the flatter sections, easing back a little when the hills arrived. From the seventh mile onwards, she settled into a rhythm of around 7:20 per mile, although the toughest climb of the course in mile nine required a little extra effort.

She negotiated that section in 7:29 before returning to just over 7:20 pace for the following miles. The final mile took 7:31, bringing her home in 1:34:35.

It was a new half marathon PB, with Kate finishing seventh female, third in the F40 category and 68th overall.

It was another excellent result for a runner who has been producing some consistently strong performances, and a well-deserved reward for her efforts.

Chris O’Brien puts his Abingdon preparations to the test

Chris O’Brien had a clear objective heading into the New Forest which was to use the Half Marathon as a fitness marker ahead of the Abingdon Marathon.

He started strongly, running the opening six miles at around 6:30 to 6:40-mile pace. However, the hills soon began to take their toll, with the inclines proving particularly challenging.

Chris has found that uphill running has become more difficult since contracting Long Covid, and the New Forest course offered no shortage of opportunities to test that limitation. While he was generally able to maintain around 6:50 to seven-minute-mile pace on the flatter sections, the climbs slowed his progress.

Nevertheless, he persevered and crossed the line in 1:28:53, finishing 34th overall and third in the M50 category.

With Abingdon still the main target, the race provided valuable information about where his fitness currently stands and the areas he will need to manage as his marathon preparations continue.

Sanjai adds another half marathon to a busy year

Sanjai Sharma was next home for Bournemouth AC, completing the course in 1:35:38 to finish 86th overall and third in the M60 category.

It was another solid performance in what has already been a busy year over the half marathon distance.

Sanjai ran the Wokingham Half Marathon in 1:36 before improving to 1:34 at the Fleet Half Marathon. He then went on to complete the London Marathon in 3:28, before more recently recording 1:42:30 at the Stur Half.

The New Forest offered another opportunity to put that experience to good use, and he duly added another strong result to his season’s tally.

Helen Beddoe breaks another PB after a strong season

Helen Beddoe completed a particularly satisfying day for Bournemouth AC by recording a new half marathon PB of 1:37:38.

Helen has been enjoying an excellent year. She ran the ABP Southampton Marathon in 3:55, won her age category in the Upton Summer Series and improved her 10K PB twice, first at Lordshill and then again at Totton.

Her most recent half marathon before the New Forest had been a much tougher experience. At the Blackmore Vale Half Marathon, she battled through the heat to complete the gruelling course in 1:49:54.

That experience would have provided useful preparation for another hilly outing, but Helen’s latest performance showed just how much progress she has made.

Her time of 1:37:38 placed her 14th female, sixth in the F40 category and 99th overall in a field of 1,691 runners.

With 768 women taking part and 198 runners in the F40 category, those were excellent positions to accompany her new personal best.

For Helen, it was a particularly rewarding result after the challenges of Blackmore Vale, and further evidence that her hard work throughout the season is paying off.

Alex Young of Romsey Road Runners won the race in 1:14:29, with Nicholas Twomey taking second in 1:20:52 and Peter Lawrie finished third in 1:21:09. George Chowdhury was fourth in 1:21:23, with Jonny Pennell of St Albans Striders finishing fifth in 1:22:12.

10K

The 10K was won by Callum Abberley of Burton AC in 35:20. Ross Wilkes of Isle of Wight Road Runners took second in 36:58, with Matthew Hartgrove third in 37:31.

Josh Frewin of Tring AC finished fourth in 37:49, while Joshua Allnutt of Wimborne AC completed the top five in 38:19.

Anna Mazon was first female in 40:25, finishing ninth overall. Katharina Hoppe of Southampton AC was second female in 42:36, placing 14th overall, while Emily Grant of Gade Valley Harriers took third female in 43:35, finishing 17th overall.

5K

Chris Cleaver won the 5K in 18:46, followed by Zachary Armitage of New Forest Juniors in 19:29 and Charles Lawson of Southampton AC in 20:46.

Abigail Moors of Poole AC finished fourth overall and took the women’s victory in 21:26. Kirsty Robins was seventh overall and second female in 23:40, with Heather Saxby ninth overall and third female in 24:08.

Another memorable day for Bournemouth AC

From Stu Nicholas’s commanding marathon victory to Kitty Cook’s superb sub-3:30 breakthrough, there was plenty to celebrate for Bournemouth AC in the New Forest.

Vic Chapman demonstrated her continued strength over the half marathon, Kate Bowers and Helen Beddoe both produced personal bests, and Chris O’Brien and Sanjai Sharma added further solid performances to their seasons.

For Luke Martin, sadly, it was a day to reflect on what might have been. Mistakes do happen and that can always be accepted in a running event but it’s such a shame when it leads to such a huge impact on the outcome of the race. No doubt Luke will bounce back though and will come back strong and get the result he deserves in the next one.

The course may have been advertised as flat and fast, but its 800ft of climbing ensured that nobody was handed an easy ride. Bournemouth AC’s runners rose to the challenge, producing a collection of performances that reflected both their hard work in training and their determination to keep improving.