Review of running the Centurion South Downs Way 50-mile Ultra Marathon
We are runners. With this event, you will be walking for long periods. Sure it is a personal challenge and will be an achievement to complete. But please be fully aware, this is particularly brutal, with seven hills and a total elevation of 5,700 feet according to Centurion, yet my Garmin logged 6,473ft in 46 miles, so it is most likely a total elevation of 6,700ft. This is an event of seven races against time, where you are chasing seven aid station
cut-offs.
The Good, the bad and the Ugly
The good
Personalised Race Bib with your emergency contacts and medical information printed on the back with your name on the front.
Race tracker - So your friends and family can see your progress and for added safety.
Informative pre race information and webinar - Yes Mr Elson, I was aware of the cut-offs!
Free Photos - although I only had the one!
Very good and very visible and reflective course markers, you won’t get lost.
The bad
Lack of marshals out on the course
With a few exceptions, a general lack of friendliness
Spartan aid station offerings, especially for back markers
No first-aid or medical personnel at any aid stations
The Ugly
The seven long and steep hills on rough ground, up and going down!
Excessive rules, time penalties with zealously enforced, unnecessary mid-race cut-offs
No medal for anyone that misses the finish cut-off "even by one second"
For around 60% of the course the running surface is uneven chalk/flint farm tracks
Rules and mid race cut-offs
This is probably the only UK running event to have such extensive, dictatorial rules, zealously enforced, with strict mid-race cut-off times. Miss the cut-off by even one second and your day is over! Note that the cut-off time is when you LEAVE the aid station, not arrive. Even then, it is not recorded until you are up to 500m away and is accurate within 30 second margin!
I cannot understand why race director James Elson needs to be so petty enforcing his many rules and apparently going out of his way to make it is difficult as possible to actually complete the 50-miles within his mandated 13-hour time frame. Just one second late and you don’t even get a medal. There is definitely no leeway.
In my opinion, this is an event which could be described as organised by sadist, for masochistic runners! Over arguably, the worst, steepest, longest hills in any 50-mile section of the South Downs Way. It is difficult to believe a running surface being any worse or more dangerous. Combined with his autocratic rules - the mandatory gear you are required to carry, with anything found to be missing during a random in-race kit check, even a cup, resulting in a 1-hour time penalty! No crewing is allowed "supported by crew" with "Disqualification and Lifetime ban" but apparently you are "allowed" to buy a coffee from the vendor at the lay-by after Botolphs, or an ice cream at Ditchling Beacon and because that "is available to everyone and is not an unfair advantage"
I was "timed-out" at Jevington, the last aid-station cut-off by just 7 minutes, having ran 46 miles for over 12 hours and with just 4 miles left. I cannot begin to express my utter devastation of not being allowed to complete the 50 miles, due to James Elson’s cut-off rules and his absolute, resolute inflexibility. Even now, as I write this over a month later, I am still fuming and not a little depressed. I look at my medal rack and for the first time I have no medal for an event I have done. For the first time I was "not allowed" to finish and would not have got my well-earned medal had I done so.
Centurion cut-off policy - A direct transcript from James Elson’s NDW50 2026 webinar
"If you missed the cut-off which is the time for leaving the checkpoint and they are strict cut-offs I’m afraid. The cut-offs are timed for leaving the checkpoints OK. We had a Gentleman at Jevington on the South Downs 50 and he got quite upset because he missed it by a minute. But he was short of the checkpoint by a minute, let alone he had actually left it. And we know from experience if you miss a cut-off out on course because they are evenly paced, you are not going to speed up and make the next one. That’s the reason they are there."
Nice to be referred to as a "Gentleman" not a "chap", but I am still, more than a bit "quite upset"! At the time, I just accepted it because I couldn’t face a large argument with the aid station people who are only following Elson’s strict rules! As far as I was aware it was 7 minutes not one. It took them around 5 minutes to get around to and take off the tracker off and sinc it with my race bib number code. Perhaps I should have just said "hello which way now? I cant’ stop" and carried on? If I had missed the cut-off by a mere minute how could they possibly know that I would miss the finish cut-off over 4 miles and 65 minutes away? Plenty of opportunity to get a mere minute back.
The reason there are mid-race cut-offs is to give aid station volunteers certainty. Elson states below:
"whilst volunteers stand out in the cold waiting, having been told in advance when their long shift would naturally end"
However, the final comment from Elson shows he just cannot comprehend how wrong he is with mid-race cut-offs and no medal for every finisher regardless of their finishing time.
"That is the magic of the cut-offs" that one statement has annoyed me the most. Magic for hi, he obviously gets some form of pleasure from denying those so close being devasted not to be allowed to finish and get a medal for doing so.
James Elson: "Two runners last year missed the finishing cut-off by less than a one minute. Both of them were obviously extremely disappointed and took it with good grace that was Frank’s fourth try and are back this year to try again And that is the magic of the cut-offs. It might hurt in the moment but it will give you that extra impetus to come back and try again and it will be so much more rewarding when you do."
Having now entered the Race to the King (RTTK) - Castle (33m) on 20 June 2026 which hopefully will give me back my running mojo. RTTK is certainly a world apart from the elitist Centurion events in terms of organisation, safety, aid-station fueling options and inclusivity. Unlike James Elson, they actually want you to finish and have the satisfaction of doing so. "We aim to cater for all abilities and therefore pit stop cut-off times are calculated based on approximately 2.5mph minimum speed to complete your respective distance."
Fully justified, I wrote a letter to James Elson at Centurion Running to express my disappointment and the fact that challenging cut-off times would increase the risk of injury or worse to those taking part, incentivised to take risks to beat a cut-off. Please read my letter PDF here. James Elson’s response and my subsequent reply is below. If you are considering a Centurion Event, please take the time to read this.
I wasn’t sure what response I would get from James Elson. Perhaps an apology, certainly a degree of understanding or empathy, he is a runner himself after all. At the very least I had thought he would give an undertaking to reassess the cut-off times, especially at Alfriston and Jevington. Over the last two years, a total of just 4 participants have been timed-out at Alfriston or Jevington. Certainly all finishers should get a finisher’s medal irrespective of their actual finishing time. A nice touch would have been (perhaps) to send me a medal (or a T-shirt) so I had something to show for my 12 hours running 46 miles, although given his rules I knew this would be highly unlikely. I certainly did not expect to receive an attempted, total justification and vindication of the enforcement of his rules (cut-off times) and his defensive attitude to my feedback.
I am not the first and won’t be the last to suffer the pettiness of Centurion rules! Read this review:
https://greybeardloon.medium.com/all-the-gear-no-idea-6f4f9cee6522
At Alfriston, an aid-station marshal actively trying to get this chap disqualified! He did get his medal even after a 2-hour time penalty for no cup and no back-up light!
Safety and Medical
Despite being mentioned on the website "There will be a dedicated team of race medics available throughout the duration of the weekend including static first aid teams, rapid response cars and race ambulances. If you suffer an injury or accident that warrants direct medical attention, the medics will be on hand to provide you with exactly that." https://www.centurionrunning.com/races/south-downs-way-50-2026
I can assure you that as far as I was aware there was no trained first-aider or medic at any of the aid stations. I asked for advice at Saddlescombe Farm, no medic! Basically if you need any first-aid you are on your own. This is made very clear on the Centurion website. For emergencies, help is up to 20 minutes away!
Be very careful when crossing roads. Cars will not stop of slow down. Most will even be speeding. There did not appear to be any "Beware runners crossing" signs on the road either, if there were, they were being ingnored by drivers. Basic stuff. There are two seriously dangerous road crossing, the first after Botolphs and the next at the A273 after Pyecombe, before the golf course. Be aware to allow at least 5 minutes for each in your pacing!
The majority of the course is rough chalk farm tracks with partially buried and loose flints on tractor-rutted tracks. The "gully of doom/death" after the trig point down into Eastbourne is very dangerous, even more so in the dark!
In my opinion there are much better UK ultra events. Better organised, with fewer rules, over courses that are for runners not those seeking an expedition adventure. Those below, whilst having cut-offs they are more accommodating and inclusive, so that most people can complete. It would appear that the finishing cut-offs are flexible within reason, everyone finishing getting their finishing medal. These cut-offs being a guide of when the aid station will close, not when you will be timed-out and not allowed to continue!
https://www.maverick-race.com/products/the-maverick-south-downs-trail-run-2026
Cut-offs based on 3.78mph and finishing time overall of 3mph
17:00
https://help.thresholdtrailseries.com/hc/en-gb/articles/15399342577309-Does-Race-to-the-King-have-cut-off-times
"We aim to cater for all abilities and therefore pit stop cut-off times are calculated based on approximately 2.5mph minimum speed to complete your respective distance."
https://ultra-x.co/event/ultra-marathon-in-england/
Cut-off Policy
Generous time allowances of 2.5 hours per 10km.
"We want you to finish – and enjoy the scenery along the way."
If You Don't Finish:
"In the scenario that you cannot finish a stage at one of our events, you will be offered entry into the following edition of the race at half price. You will not receive a finisher’s medal or official result."
https://www.ultrachallenge.com/south-coast-challenge/
No cut offs. Runners 9 to 16 hours - Joggers 16-20 hours
Also worth a read:
https://www.hannahwalsh.co.uk/blog/what-if-i-dont-make-the-cut-off-times
Sent: 15 April 2026 07:46
To: 'James Elson'
Subject: RE: Very disappointed and dissatisfied!
Hi James,
Thank you for taking the time to reply. I didn’t think you would bother!
Please see reply comments in BOLD below.
Obviously it is clear to me you will not change anything so I am leaving it there.
I will not reply again.
In time, I will write a review and my blog.
Regards
Phil
From: James Elson [mailto:rd@centurionrunning.com]
Sent: 14 April 2026 13:58
To: Phil
Cc: Centurion Info
Subject: Re: Very disappointed and dissatisfied!
Hi Phil
Obviously you needed to get that off your chest and that is fair enough. This is what we do for a living - though it is not an easy one, we have to be able to take the criticism and learn from it and continue to try to improve. Nevertheless emails like this really leave us questioning the point. The trouble with is is we have absolutely done everything we said we would, and it hasn’t worked out for you and you have let us have your feelings. But let me address the points. I won’t spend any more time on this because you think something of us which simply isn’t true and made it quite clear you don’t want to talk about it. So I realise I am probably wasting my time. I thank you for signing up to race with us and I appreciate you putting your trust in us and I am only sorry you felt it was broken.
In replying, you are not wasting your time. I would hope you would "improve" on what you offer and a good starting point would be to see what the Race to the King (RTTK) does.
I ran it in 2024 and at the pre race briefing the first thing he said was, "this is not about achieving a certain time, your goal is to finish and have the achievement of finishing an Ultra"
You have directed this at me personally, so I will take it on personally.
You are Centurion. Everything about the event comes from you, by you. Some people even refer to you as "Mr Centurion."
You are talking to someone who gives up a huge chunk of their life to volunteer for this sport with the TRA and with countless other organisations from governing bodies to other organisers. We have organised 130 ultras over 16 years. I have run 100 myself. I haven’t seen an email like this in all that time. It has personal impact. We care very deeply about the sport. Far beyond trying to put food on the table by organising our events. So believe me, it has been taken personally.
It does surprise me that no one else that has ever felt the way I do, being denied (by your cut-offs) an opportunity to actually FINISH a 50-mile event, and because "we British don’t like to complain" doesn’t mean that all others would be happy. As I said it would have been a bucket list achievement for me. The only way others who run this won’t end up feeling as I do, is for the cut-offs to change and be extended and/or not apply after Alfriston.
Issues raised:
Lack of marshals out on course: We had 85 marshals out for 428 runners. If you would like to point out a race that provisions more volunteers per runner I would be delighted to hear it. It’s possible but I think it’s unlikely. The cost to us, of that, is absolutely enormous on every level. Time, money, free places given away. It’s made clear in all of the race literature that we do not marshal the road crossings. There is quite simply an element of self sufficiency that one must have to undertake long point to point trail races. That does not include marshalling road crossings.
Having thought about it, the volunteer marshals I did see were during the first 5 hours. So obviously being one of a very few back markers the explanation may be they left before everyone had gone through. I did feel for the lady by the road before the downhill to Botolphs as she was very cold. Perhaps you included in the numbers those at aid stations! Marshals per runner ratio is not relevant as it is the length of the course – this is a 50-mile point to point, most other events start and finish at the same point. All I can say is, I saw very few marshals actually on the course.
However, on a positive note your route markers are excellent and more than enough to navigate.
Lack of friendliness: Obviously that is subjective and extremely disappointing to hear - probably the most disappointing thing you have written actually. I must say. I have honestly, genuinely never heard that as feedback from one of our events. Neither has our volunteer co-ordinator and other staff to whom this has also gone - whom are like I am, somewhat in shock from your email. But that is your experience so I cannot question it.
I found that people generally didn’t want to talk, both runners and your staff/volunteers. Perhaps if I had kept up with a larger pack I would have had more interaction with runners. All I can say is it wasn’t the same as any of the many previous events I have run. However the highlight of my day was made by both Jade Barrett and the lady marshal I talked to at Housedean and saw again at Eastbourne, she felt she had to give me a hug as I was so disappointed I didn’t get to finish and get a medal.
Spartan Aid Station offerings: Again subjectively Phil that is how it seemed to you so I cannot answer back other than to say we try to offer the same from first to last whilst making sure we don’t throw a ton of food away. I have already emailed all of our volunteers to ask if they ran short of anything, nobody reported any shortage on the day, we obviously top up as we go if that is caught in time. I will see what the feedback was. Of course, I do not know what you were expecting as a frame of reference.
It is not how I feel, it is actual fact. OK you didn’t run out of water (or Coke) or crucially Gels. But even at Housedean, the tables resembled a pensioner’s bird table at 5am! I liked/needed the melon as it seems, everyone else did. Orange segments also in short supply. Again, comparing to the RTTK….
No Medical personnel at aid stations: The medical protocol is to stand off within 20 minutes of the whole course - I gave that information out in the pre-race webinar. At the back of the field behind you, two runners lay down in a dew pond, one going into shock. The medics nearest were in Kingston and drove up onto the SDW to attend to those runners. We position them for access to the course - for that reason - access to emergencies. If any issue is reported at a CP they will be there within 20 minutes. That is how we run our medical oversight. We know it works because with 30,000 lifetime runners, every single one of them has so far, thank God, gone home safely.
Now I have to take issue with this. At every aid station you need a medical professional. This should be standard and required. Runners will arrive with all manner of minor issues or injuries, often times a patch up or advice is all that is required. I had a (for the first time) issue with hamstrings and was concerned that I may end up injured. At Saddlescombe Farm I asked about the medic and there was none. A 20-minute wait would have ended my day even earlier! Also worth noting that out of 22 of us that did not finish, just 3 were timed out, the rest retired either due to exhaustion or injury. The runners at a dew pond (I can’t think they were in it!) was a real emergency and away from aid stations, that is a risk we all take on and accept. You were very clear on this in every communication.
Cut offs: I am afraid this is where we come apart. It’s almost as if we hid some of the information about the cut offs. You’ve acknowledged you were aware of them and that we were clear all the way along that they would be stuck to rigidly. That we don’t give awards out for people finishing over them. Because one simple reason - if we give someone 5 seconds, should we give them 30? Should we give them a minute and if not then 5 minutes? Half an hour, an hour, whilst volunteers stand out in the cold waiting, having been told in advance when their long shift would naturally end. We want everyone to finish Phil. Of course we do. But we also want people to have the achievement of doing so within the fixed time frame. That 13 hour cut off has been advertised and in place every one of the 14 editions of the race and if you didn’t like the cut off then I must ask why you entered? LDWA events (which I do regularly myself) have similar routes and cut offs designed for walkers, rather than our race. Again, we cannot be any clearer about these either in advance or in the moment. The final four finished, one of them, with 2 seconds to spare. Ask them if they would have preferred to come in over the last hour rather than get that sense of achievement from coming in within the 13 hours and they will tell you - they’d rather beat the cut off. Because I ask them Phil. That is a big part of what races and our races are about.
You never "hid" the information. I was fully aware of it and knew that 13 hours would be a huge challenge for me personally. I spent many nights awake thinking how far I could get and when. (see the PDF attached!) I did think that having got to Eastbourne running track and finished, perhaps in slightly over the 13-hour cut-off, I would nevertheless get a medal. I just cannot accept the cut-off is so zealously enforced down to the second and especially at the finish. Would you really deny that lady her medal if she finished over 13 hours? (I know she had a "toilet emergency" ).
Basically your SDW 50-mile is a series of 7 time trials. Again I question the logic of incentivising runners to speed down the "gully of death" and risk serious injury or worse in pursuit of beating your arbitrary 13- hour cut-off. Whilst I can see that "giving in" for a few seconds becomes a few minutes etc. there is nothing at all stopping you extending the last three cut-offs - or not having any after Southease, or an overall 14-hour finish, or giving all finishers a medal.
This was my reasoning, for the benefit of others in the future.
Just for reference below is the other feedback we got post race. This is what I am sending to my team and volunteers rather than your message, because I would like them to ideally come back again.
The positive feedback you got or get is obviously from those who had achieved what they wanted to and are understandably delighted. As earlier finishers they may have had better everything than I did as a back marker. Of those of us that didn’t finish, just 3 were timed-out and I was the only person to be timed out after Southease. In 2025, two missed the cut off at Alfriston and a lady missed Jevington by just 3 minutes! I am sure she felt like I do. This was my biggest fear, to get within 4 miles and not be allowed to finish. You just don’t get that.
Good luck for the future and I hope in hindsight that some of the points I make in return at least make some sense. But anyway that’s it I guess.
I’m sorry, but I appear to have wasted my time.
Whatever you had replied, I will not be running any event you organise again.
I had hoped you would look at the cut-offs again and not penalise people like myself who I know could finish but was not "allowed" to. You have now confirmed that I would never have received a medal to remember the achievement by even if I had continued and not finished under 13 hours. My "mojo" went downhill after Housedean after being told the story of the chap timed-out on the running track. I’m sure he was devastated. Late = no medal. It certainly affected me negatively!
I acknowledge for my own part I "wasted" too much time in the aid stations. I didn’t need the rest but was happy to talk to those serving and helping us. That is what I am like. They perhaps should have given me a shove so I didn’t waste the time buffer I had built up. I would always have finished. You can see from the aid station tracking times attached.
If you want to understand what I have tried to explain, may I suggest you run the RTTK Castle route (55km 33m 1,040ft of hills) ) on 20 June 2026. I will be.
You will experience a completely different atmosphere (If it is the same as 2024 RTTK and it will be)
The aid stations are exceptional. Medics at all. Hot drinks at all. Toilets at all. Chairs to sit on (not advisable!) at all and a marquee at the end for runners and their supporters to have a proper sit down choice of hot meal. Please do read their website. You won’t find an hour penalty for a missing item of mandatory kit, in fact there is no mandatory kit!
Cut-offs based on 2.5mph for inclusivity.
Obviously it’s bigger and with economies of scale.
James Elson
From: Phil [mailto:phil@brand-newhomes.co.uk]
Sent: 14 April 2026 13:16
To: 'Centurion Running'
Subject: Very disappointed and dissatisfied!
For the attention of James Elson Centurion Running
Please find attached pdf which details my experiences on Saturday during your South Downs Way 50 mile.
You will never know the amount of time and preparation I put in to this 50-mile ‘bucket list’ event.
I will be 67 in May and this would realistically, be my one chance of running an organised 50-mile event.
Some things were very good:
Personalised Race Bib
Race tracker
Pre race information and webinar
Free Photos - although I only had the one!
Some not so good:
Lack of marshals out on the course
With a few exceptions, a general lack of friendliness
Spartan aid station offerings, especially for back markers
No medical personnel at any aid stations
But my gripe is the enforced cut-offs which are very demanding on a good day but not into a 40mph gusting head or cross wind. By having let’s say " challenging" cut offs (see attached pdf ) runners are incentivised (to beat cut-offs), likely to run at a faster pace than would be safe on the more dangerous you call it “technical” surfaces, and risk serious injury should they trip or fall, perhaps (and I hope not) resulting in a fatality one day.
The cut off times especially the final two are not conducive to an “having an amazing day” (your words)
You appear to take some delight in having people fail in their dream of completing a 50-mile event. For those who can and do run incredibly fast times good for them. Some of us are not as experienced, young or fleet of foot. This should be, as all running events should be, for everyone not restricted by cut offs and ability. I fully understand that as organisers you will need a time when you can pack up and call it a day. But at 9:30pm? Surely you could have found another hour for everyone and make it more enjoyable?
Still it is your company, your race, you have the rules you want, treat people with indifference if you choose and in the process extinguish a hope of an amazing achievement for people like myself at the very end of a long day, after months of training and careful planning.
I hope it was worth it for you.
PLEASE DO NOT CALL ME.
REPLY BY EMAIL SHOULD YOU WANT TO. BUT I AM NOT EXPECTING ANYTHING FROM YOU.
Phil Race number 268
