So this was a race that last year I thought was near on perfect. This year, I can put my hand on my heart and say that this event has now somehow bettered itself and reached perfection. Was it the weather? Was it the friendliness of the organisers? Was it the fact the bands this year played 80's cover versions? It was all these things and so much more... Mrs A, myself and the two boys decided to camp in the nearby campsite and apart from it being a tad chilly on the first evening, it was a brilliant decision. On arrival, the wonderful camping warden gave us a lovely greeting and got us all settled in. I made my way over to the registration area where I was given a warm hello and picked up my race number with no issues whatsoever. A number of the staff even recognised us all from the 2017 event and even remembered the weekend was around the time of my youngest son's birthday, which absolutely made his day. After spending the Saturday carb loading and taking in a number of the sights along the marathon route, Sunday arrived and we were ready to go. The campsite had a really friendly feel to it and we were even camping near the legendary 'Jon on the Finish Line for you!' (but more about him later.) "Good morning, Michael!" "Feeling confident?" "You'll smash it!" was just a number of positive messages from old and new friends on the Sunday morning and in the warm up area we were given the safety briefing and inspiring stories that pumped everyone up. The group warm up is another highlight to this event that gets the whole New Forest rocking and after we were all stretched out we made our way to the start line. The loud horn sounded and we were away! I had taken part in the half marathon in 2016 and the full in 2017, but what makes this race so magic is that it still feels brand new. The first ten miles absolutely flew by and we were again given the pleasure of running through parts of one of the most gorgeous locations in the country. Not only was the scenery like that from a fairy tale, but the wildlife on offer was equally outstanding. You may not get a PB on this course, but that may have something to do with slowing down and being in total awe of the wild ponies and other animals that join you on the course. Towards the end of the race I began to tire and ache, but I was still loving every second of it and was on course for a good time. All of the races (5km, 10km, Half Marathon and Full) join for the last couple of miles of the race and the support from the other runners and spectators for us who had braved the 26.2 miles was amazing. Entering the final stretch I could feel the warmth and encouragement from the crowd and 'Jon on the Finish Line for You' was unbelievable in his support and helped me get over the finish line in 3:20:26 and a 40th place finish overall. I gathered my medal, goody bag and enjoyed my free sports massage before joining my family for a pizza and some post-race entertainment. This race was amazing and although I struggled to walk (and drive home) afterwards, I wouldn't have changed a single second of it. This was another wonderful weekend on the south coast and I am counting down the days until next year!