The Maverick Kielder Forest Gravel 2026
From Maverick Race
- Date Sat 5th September 2026
- Location Hexham, Kielder, Northumberland
- Price £9.10 - £92.84
- Races 9 races
Event summary
Get ready for an unforgettable experience at The Maverick Kielder Forest Gravel 2026, taking place on Saturday, September 5th, 2026, in the breathtaking Kielder Forest, Hexham, Northumberland! Organised by Maverick Race, this unique trail running event celebrates a century of Kielder Forest, offering participants the chance to run through stunning ancient woodlands and immerse themselves in the natural beauty of the area.
Runners of all levels can choose from an array of distances to suit their adventure, including a scenic 5k and 10k on forest trails, a challenging 21k that tests your limits, a marathon featuring fast trails and steady inclines, and an exhilarating 50k that showcases the best of Kielder Forest's trails, fell running, and breathtaking viewpoints. For those wanting to make a weekend of it, camping is available right at the start line at Kielder Campsite, with options ranging from camping and campervan pitches to family pods and caravans. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to connect with nature and challenge yourself—mark your calendars for September 5th, 2026, and get ready for an adventure like no other!
Runners of all levels can choose from an array of distances to suit their adventure, including a scenic 5k and 10k on forest trails, a challenging 21k that tests your limits, a marathon featuring fast trails and steady inclines, and an exhilarating 50k that showcases the best of Kielder Forest's trails, fell running, and breathtaking viewpoints. For those wanting to make a weekend of it, camping is available right at the start line at Kielder Campsite, with options ranging from camping and campervan pitches to family pods and caravans. Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to connect with nature and challenge yourself—mark your calendars for September 5th, 2026, and get ready for an adventure like no other!
The Maverick Kielder Forest Gravel 2026
Sat 5th September 2026
Organiser's Description
The Maverick Kielder Forest Gravel 2026
SATURDAY 5 SEPTEMBER 2026
KIELDER CASTLE
Celebrating a century of Kielder Forest, this is your chance to run through history. Join us for a unique trail running event on September 5th, 2026, starting from Kielder Castle. Experience the beauty of Northumberland's ancient woodlands with distances on offer for every level:
5k & 10k: A scenic run on forest trails.
21k: Test yourself on a challenging mix of terrain.
Marathon: A course of fast trails and steady inclines.
50k: A celebration of the best of Kielder Forest's trails, fell running, and stunning viewpoints.
With camping on offer in the heart of the forest, allowing you the opportunity to fully immerse yourself over the weekend in what Kielder Forest has to offer.
Stay right at the start line and book your accommodation with Kielder Campsite, so you can fully immerse yourself in what Kielder Forest has to offer. The campsite has a range of options from camping and campervan pitches to family pods and caravans. Follow the link below to find out more information and book:
kieldercampsite.co.uk/events
SATURDAY 5 SEPTEMBER 2026
KIELDER CASTLE
Celebrating a century of Kielder Forest, this is your chance to run through history. Join us for a unique trail running event on September 5th, 2026, starting from Kielder Castle. Experience the beauty of Northumberland's ancient woodlands with distances on offer for every level:
5k & 10k: A scenic run on forest trails.
21k: Test yourself on a challenging mix of terrain.
Marathon: A course of fast trails and steady inclines.
50k: A celebration of the best of Kielder Forest's trails, fell running, and stunning viewpoints.
With camping on offer in the heart of the forest, allowing you the opportunity to fully immerse yourself over the weekend in what Kielder Forest has to offer.
Stay right at the start line and book your accommodation with Kielder Campsite, so you can fully immerse yourself in what Kielder Forest has to offer. The campsite has a range of options from camping and campervan pitches to family pods and caravans. Follow the link below to find out more information and book:
kieldercampsite.co.uk/events
Races
-
Short 5k
£25.00
CLOSED -
Short - 5k - Junior Entry
£9.10
CLOSED -
Medium - 12k
£39.84
CLOSED -
Medium - 12k - Junior Entry
£9.10
CLOSED -
Half Marathon - 24k
£50.44
CLOSED -
Half Marathon - 24k - Junior Entry
£9.10
CLOSED -
Marathon - 41k
£82.24
CLOSED -
Marathon - 41k - Junior Entry
£9.10
CLOSED -
Ultra - 52k
£92.84
CLOSED
Reviews
- 5
- 4
- 3
- 2
- 1
5.0
1 review
I think this might well be my favourite ever race, and over 24 hours later, it can't just be runners' high kidding me!
The course was just stunning, with the most amazing viewpoints around Kielder, and aside from a single-file muddy first mile, the gravel track was really amenable for good running. The undulations were of the Goldilocks variety too - enough to keep it interesting, but not too heinous, and with plenty of flat track to recover.
All of the marshalls were really friendly and helpful, and I felt very well looked after throughout. The same is true of the generous track-markers.
The bag drop and registration process was really efficient, and the coffee kiosk available afterwards was a great bonus - not every marathon do you get to finish with an oat chai latte! Parking facilities being available on site was excellent too - eases one stress of events. That you could switch between events on the day/course as you felt was really nifty, too.
Given all that, I'd say this is a great "first" trail marathon too - it's not too challenging a course, offers all the fun advantages of trail over road, and is well-supported. For experience fell or ultra runners it probably isn't the most challenging - but you're not always looking for a challenge.
The only point of improvement would be there are no toilets out on the track - only there were some public ones just after the second checkpoint which would have been reassuring to be signposted to!
I would 100% do it again (and maybe the ultra...)
Location
Castle Drive, Kielder, Hexham NE48 1EP, UK
The Maverick Kielder Forest Gravel 2026
