Keith Forsyth – King of the 24

If you know Keith Forsyth then you’re well aware that he’s a modest, caring man who loves to socialise and join in with the fun.  Known to party hard but equally well known for working super hard on a mountain bike.  The post Puffer Inverness drinking/curry sessions are now legendary but they are a rightful release after being at the sharp end of that particular race for well over a decade.  With a constant connection to the i-cycles shop in Innerleithen Keith has raced all over the UK and beyond in his specialist sport of 24 hour mountain biking.  He’s stood on the top spot in the UK champs, Chiller 24, Puffer, Relentless, 10 Under The Ben and many more.  You would think a man with so much racing success would have an ego to match but dive deep and you’ll find no such thing.  Humble and eager to encourage anyone to be the best they can be he retired from racing the Puffer in 2026 and I thought I’d catch up and see how his transition to team management went.  If you’re going to talk about Keith and mountain bike racing then you have to mention people like ace pit man Norman Brockwell, pairs fellow speedster Mike Hancock, quad riders Steve Deas, Lewis Cowe and Mark Maguire.  There are many other riders who have been part of the setup and apologies for not getting your names in here.

In his personal life Keith and his family of Margaret and daughter Emma suffered the heart wrenching loss when their son died suddenly when away on holiday in 2018.  Ben Forsyth was an incredibly talented cyclist on the road to great things but when his form took a sudden unexplained dip some specialist tests found he had a very rare heart disorder which meant he could have a serious heart failure at any time.  The family’s life was turned upside down when Ben was away on holiday with his friends.  I can remember the funeral like yesterday as we were holidaying nearby and thought the church service was a magnificent tribute to a young man who had meant so much to so many.  The vast majority of us will have no idea of the pain and suffering they must go through to this day.  It was soon after this point that I asked Keith if we could make a trophy in memory of of his son and the Ben Forsyth Trophy came in to being for the winner of the male quads category.  In a typical twist of fate some super fast riders from Fishface came along that year and relegated i-cycles to second place.  However i-cycles stormed back the next year to take that coveted prize home.  At the presentation each year I find it hard to recite the story but it’s also an honour and a privilege to keep Ben’s memory alive.

So let’s see what Keith had to say in answer to some questions I put his way.

How are you finding retirement from the mountain bike scene?

After many years at the sharp end of endurance racing I decided to call it a day at the end of 2025 and didn’t enter the Puffer for the first time since I started racing that event in 2008 !#

Whilst I still love getting out on the bike regularly and riding with mates, I haven’t missed putting in the necessary hours during the grim weather of the autumn and winter this year !

Who knows, maybe I’ll get bored and find some motivation in future…

Well done on team i-cycles win at the Puffer. Did you enjoy the team management side?

Thanks Barry, that was the third year running that the i-Cycles team had won the quad category.

It was the first time I’d been there and not raced, but I did get a huge buzz out of being part of the team setup. I’ve always appreciated the support I’ve had in the pits over the many years from my son Ben and my mates Mark, Davie, Norman, Mike and others, and now I fully understand why they were keen to give up their time to help me.

Riding in the team this year we had i-Cycles stalwart Lewis Cowe alongside Euan Scott, Jordan Joig, and Puffer virgin Dougy Cameron, who has raced very successfully for the team at xc and cx for years.

Shop owner Steve Deas and I shared the pit duties with him on the ‘spanners’, and me on the ‘catering’ side of things.

We were also looking after Steve’s partner Rachael McDougal who had a fantastic race in her first solo attempt, finishing in the top ten solo females overall, and 3rd in her age category… she was chuffed !!

Are you going to be slipping into this team management role at the Chiller?

Don’t think I’ll be slipping into team management at the Chiller just yet, I’ve still got enough motivation to keep riding for that beautiful trophy with Ben’s name on it !

Given that you’re a multiple winner in 24 hour mtb races in solo, pairs and quads – have you got any advice for others wanting to get to the top spot?

Ooh, that’s a hard one.

I think this comes down to three main elements; training, fuelling, and mental fortitude…

Everyone who races 24’s has a different approach, and different goals.

Some are happy just to ride for 24 hours and find out what position they finished in at the end, whilst others like myself want to know exactly how the land lies all the way through, and feel like they are ‘racing’ the whole way.

In the early days I used to eat a mix of bars, gels and ‘normal food’ throughout the race, but I found chewing, swallowing, and breathing all at the same time to be very difficult. So I mastered the ability to consume only gels and energy drinks for the full 24hrs !

A gel just before the start of the race, and a gel every 20 mins throughout, would mean I could get close to 80 gels in a race, and all washed down with up to 15 litres of energy drink !!

I used to go off hard at the start of a 24 solo, just to avoid any bottlenecks in the first sections of singletrack, and then hold that intensity for as long as possible.

Whereas in pairs or quad teams, it’s easier to consume the required calories from normal type food whilst sitting by the fire and chilling 😉

The two things I would remind myself of;

1- to finish first, first you need to finish…
2- if you’re not moving, you’re losing !

Does the 24 hour race scene offer an ongoing link to the memory of Ben?

Since losing Ben in 2018 I have progressively struggled with motivation to train and often questioned why I should continue to race. I haven’t raced a 24 solo since 2019, choosing rather to race in pairs or quads for the 24hr races.

It’s great to see 24hr races like the Puffer and Chiller still appealing to many riders, and I see the 3six12 race down near Plymouth now has a 24hr category again (this used to be called 24/12 back in the day), so hopefully there will be a resurgence in this niche sport and more events will creep back onto the calendar !

How do we keep this unique kind of racing going?

You’re right Barry, 24hr mtb is a unique type of racing.

Unfortunately when Covid came along in 2020 and all events were cancelled, the racing community had nothing to train specifically for. I believe a fair percentage of riders post Covid had either found new ways to spend their time or bought an e-bike.

Since then there’s been a big move towards gravel riding, with a large number of new events emerging and these are gaining huge popularity. Not necessarily my thing, but maybe someone should put on a 24hr gravel race 😉

Lastly, what does the future hold for Margaret, Emma and yourself?

As for us as a family, we continue to support Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY). There are still lots of Ben’s family and friends taking on fundraising challenges so that we can continue to organise heart screening days with CRY. This keeps Ben’s legacy alive, and gives us some comfort in knowing we’ve already saved a few families the agony of losing a child.

And of course, I’m really looking forward to smashing out more laps around the fantastic Chiller course in October with my i-Cycles team mates !!