Teenage runner Olivia Forrest plans to build on brilliant cross-country campaign

We catch up with English Schools and SIAB champion to talk about an unbeaten cross-country season and her aspirations for future success

Olivia Forrest dominated the cross-country season, remaining undefeated. One standout moment came during the English Schools Cross Country Championships where the 15-year-old stormed past leader Shaikira King, who fell to the ground from exhaustion, to claim the inter-girls victory.

Just one week later, the Brentwood Beagles athlete continued her winning streak by clinching the inter-girls Schools International Athletics Board (SIAB) cross country title.

Beyond the track, she took a convincing win in the under-15 girls race at the TCS Mini London Marathon and also became European biathle champion (a development sport of modern pentathlon) in 2023, despite only qualifying as a reserve.

Her success comes from the support of her family’s newly established athletics club, Brentwood Beagles, where she receives coaching from her dad and competes alongside her younger sister, Isabel. She is now setting her sights on maintaining her winning streak on the track as she aims for the European Under-18 Championships this summer.

How did it all start? What got you into running?

I always found my school sports day races quite short, they were only up to 200m long, so my grandad and my dad, who both ran often, introduced me to parkrun. I didn’t finish my first one because I fell and hurt my knee but from there I started doing a lot of them. I then got picked up by the local athletics club and started training with them.

How does it feel to have had an unbeaten cross-country season?

It gives me a confidence boost because it puts me in a great position for the races coming up. Having that many wins, whilst it is a lot of pressure it also just shows that I know what I am doing. People recognise me a bit more for what I do and that makes it easier to race overall.

What would say is your biggest achievement to date?

Winning the English Schools and SIAB double. I always had it in the back of my mind that I would be able to win English Schools. Coming off the back of my cross-country season I thought I could stick with the pace and hopefully win it, and I was really proud to have won it, especially whilst being in the lower year.

In the race I didn’t have the best start, I was on the outside and I wasn’t in a good pen but by the first lap I was in a good place. I stuck with the leaders and when Shaikira…