THE inaugural Purbeck Marathon that took place around the stunning Jurassic Coast last September has been rated third best marathon in the UK.

Respected specialist running magazine, Runners’ World, placed it in the top three, even ahead of the world famous London Marathon.

The review noted the demands of the course, which was predominantly off-road and included climbs of nearly 3,000ft, the scenery and the locally-themed goody bags as reasons for its success.

Race director Rose Clarke said: “This is important recognition of the hard work over many months that went into organising the first Purbeck Marathon.

“It also reflects on the many volunteers who helped on race day, many of them spending long periods in remote locations to ensure that no-one became lost and that the event passed incident-free.

“The friendliness and encouragement from the marshals was mentioned by many runners as they arrived at the finish on Swanage seafront.”

The race starts and finishes in Swanage, taking in the coastal path, Durlston Country Park, Worth Matravers, Kingston, Kimmeridge, Corfe Castle and Tyneham.

Almost the entire organising committee even ran the entire course two months after the main event, to ensure they had an in-depth understanding of every inch.

Rose said: “Running the course again in November reminded us of exactly why we were inspired to create this marathon, despite the conditions.

“We were overwhelmed by the support given to the 2012 race and the incredible ratings that runners gave the race on the Runners World website. We are already excited about staging the 2013 event even though it is almost six months away.”

Entries are now open for the 2013 event, on September 15. Numbers are limited due to the nature of the terrain. Entry via runnersworld.co.uk or purbeckmarathon.co.uk, wh