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Planting winner’s trees at Kielder Waterside
This year, the winners of the Kielder Marathon will have the opportunity to plant a tree at Kielder Waterside to celebrate and commend their victory. The first male and female runners over the line will be given a sapling to plant themselves, and are invited to return to the race each year to watch their trees grow.
The ceremony is part of our green initiative, working with Northumbrian Water to preserve the natural landscape at the site. Each year, the winners of the Kielder Marathon will be invited to plant a sapling, eventually becoming a ‘winner’s row’ of trees near the start and finish line of the marathon. As we continue the tradition going forward, we will also invite former winners to plant their trees at Kielder Waterside.
The trees will be planted on the Beeches Walk, with stunning views over Kielder Water. The marathon winners and visitors to Kielder will be able to visit the young trees and take in the picturesque landscape from a height over the water.

Alongside the tree-planting ceremony, Events of the North is working with Northumbrian Water and Kielder Forest to reduce the waste produced from event merchandise. Runners participating in the Kielder Marathon or any of the events over the weekend can opt to swap their finisher t-shirt for a tree planted in their name. A cotton t-shirt requires the same amount of water to manufacture as a person drinks in 2.5 years, plus over 2kg of eCO2, which is why opting to plant a tree instead not only reduces manufacturing processes, but also helps with environmental sustainability.
Those who choose to plant a tree will be sent a certificate and will be able to visit their tree on site at Kielder to see its growth.
Lead photo from left to right: Kieran Ingram, Head of Water at Northumbrian Water, Russell Maddams, winner of Kielder Marathon 2023, Arthur Scott, official marathon starter, Lucie Custance, female Kielder Marathon 2023 winner, Steve Cram, Director of Events of the North.