New Forest 10 mile

New Forest 10 mile race report – Jon Holl and others

At the end of October 16 Traccies ventured down to Brockenhurst in the New Forest.
It was actually 15 Traccies and a Coastal Strider, but we’re a friendly bunch!

Ade and Julie Neaves, Jon and Jo Holl, Julie and Bruce Williams, Pauline and Bob Pettit, Elizabeth and David Carr, Nikki Boyes and Chris Brenchley, Sandra Baldock and Steve Forshaw, Sharon Mcavoy and Liane Cook.

What a weekend we had! We started with Brockenhurst Parkrun at Wilverley Enclosure on Saturday. Set deep in the forest, with an ‘undulating’ route, a perfect way to stretch our legs before race day, as one does. As we emerged from the run a hundred horses were galloping across the common. It was a beautiful sight. A 500-parkrun runner was handing out glasses of bubbly. This set the tone for the weekend! A hearty breakfast followed.

The race is organised by local club runners, with dozens of marshals and a course through the beautiful woodland. It attracts fast cross-country runners and is part of the Hampshire competitive circuit. It’s not a PB course but it is beautiful and unique.

Traccies were staying in several locations, but we all met up for lunch, coffee, cake and drinks. It’s quite possible that despite some lovely walks, we all put weight on despite the running! There were a lot of laughs.
After the race we all got together for lunch, organised by Pauline Pettit. It was a great atmosphere and finished the weekend off so well.

We asked some of the runners for their highlights.

Julie and Bruce Williams hadn’t been to the New Forest before and got stuck in local traffic!

Possibly the biggest laugh of the break occurred during a civilised coffee in a local hostelry. Ade Neaves reached into his pocket for his handkerchief and produced a bag of dog poo, which he had put away safely during a long dog walk across the open fields!

Pauline Pettit wrote; Staying in a mix of accommodation in and around Brockenhurst, we were there for the New Forest 10 Mile Run, but of course the main event on Sunday was the New Forest 10 Mile Race. With around 700 runners, it was small enough to feel friendly and never overcrowded, and the field spread out quickly after the start. Elizabeth and I set off mid-pack along a long driveway that led us through scenic woodland and open meadows, with horses galloping in the distance before we wound back into the forest. There was a wonderful mix of friendly faces, and the whole experience was fab. Our reward wasn’t a medal but a traditional horse brass—a fitting memento for such a picturesque race—followed later in the afternoon by a hearty Sunday roast (and some very interesting puddings!) in a charming pub. It was the perfect way to round off the weekend, shared with a great group of Traccies, all enjoying their well-earned dinners together.

Liz Carr wrote; Was this my last race? Who knows. I had a view that my racing days were over as I don’t get the buzz anymore but that, said I couldn’t resist the opportunity to run the New Forest 10 mile as we missed the chance to run it properly 2 years ago due to torrential rain & floods. My preparation (training) wasn’t great as I was focused on a cycling event in September and then had a cough & cold for 2 weeks. That said our regular Sunday runs gave me confidence could run 10 miles.

On the day the weather was great, the company was fantastic, and the route was beautiful with autumn colours and horses on the route. As with any race the last mile felt hard but I was pulled on by Pauline. In my head I was saying this is my last race but, never say never. The fun of running with TRAC continues to make me keep going .

Chris Brenchley wrote; “After a strong run in this race six years ago I knew I could improve my time. The race is well organised and attracts a high amount of fast cross-country runners. This time, many teams had turned up to compete against their local rivals. It’s a trail race where the large amount of pebble/sandy surface doesn’t give you much back from your shoe choices. The clocks had gifted us an hour, plus an 11am race start allowed time for Nikki and I to enjoy a filling breakfast. It was a lovely sunny 1.5m heathland walk from our hotel to the start to meet the other Traccies at a nearby camp site. This added a fun element to calm any pre-race nerves.

The race started crazy fast and I kept up mostly in a group of Winchester and Toton runners pacing around 6:15 per mile. The sun flickered from the trees with glimpses of ponies and the superb marshals encouraging us. After half way I was longing for the last mile markers, hanging on I managed to beat my time by about a minute. A recovery roast was awaiting for us all in Brock’ to share our experiences.”

Ade Neaves wrote; “Well I eventually got to run this race the third time I entered it! Originally, I booked a place July 2019, but unfortunately got injured the week before so was unable to race. The second attempt was 29th October 2023 and as we all know the race was cancelled due to the course being flooded. Back to the present time 25th October 2025 I finally got to run and it was worth the wait, if you’re thinking of giving this one a go, it’s fantastic, through forest tracks, some road a stunning route with gorgeous autumnal colours, with ponies, birds and if you’re really lucky, deer.

A few of us camped at Long Meadow Campsite which is a five minute walk to the start, really nice not having to worry about driving, the weather was pretty good, we all set off on a mass start, fairly soon we were in the forest leading up to a tarmac road with an open common, this part was a little breezy so it was nice to get back into the forest for the shelter, all through the forest the path was firm gravel although sometimes it was a bit slippery I enjoyed this race so much before I knew it we were heading back into the finish area. We were presented with a lovely horse-brass. Thanks to Pauline for arranging the fantastic roast dinner at the Huntsman after, a great place to go for a race and along weekend away, with Team Trac.”

Several of us have already decided to run this race next year. Why not join us for a relaxing running weekend away?