Running the Centurion South Downs Way 50-mile Ultra
Soon after I started planning and training for the Centurion South Downs Way 50-mile Ultra way back in August 2025, it soon became known in my household and "The Crematorium" in my household, such was this immense undertaking, that death might be a possible outcome!
I got up at 3:30am having had a few hours sleep. Thoughts running through my head as to whether I could actually do this or how far would I get. I had even checked train times form Southease (at 34miles) just in case. The aid station at Housedean Farm (at 27miles) was do-able. I had done this in my training in under the 7-hour cut-off, with an easterly headwind. Alfriston aid station would be critical to actually completing the full 50 miles as the last two stages have brutal hills and I would possibly be running in the dark.
I left at 5:40am to drive to Worthing. Arrived at 6:20am and parked at Worthing College to register and pick up my bib number (268) and have the tracker taped to my race vest. Be aware, you must remember to take your race vest with you for registration if you intend to go back to your car. "No race vets no registration" one of the many rules/dictates from race director James Elson. (more comment on this in my review of the Centurion South Downs Way 50 mile). I also took the opportunity to drop of my bag which was quite heavy with what I needed for the hotel overnight. Back to my car and realised I was still wearing my after race shoes, so went back and put them in my drop bag. Then off to park my car in First Avenue and read the paper for an hour. You need to be aware it is best to park south of the junction with Hill Barn Lane, as I had previously found a golf ball on the verge further up which is much nearer the golf course. With a strong westerly forecast, the chance of golf ball car damage was quite high.
I walked back down to Worthing College for the start and sat down inside the registration hall. No one wanted to talk to me. Runners gathered in small groups talking about sub 10-hour finishes and how this was part of their "training for the 100". Make no mistake this event is very clique and elitist. For 'ordinary' recreational runners such as myself, in later life (67) with an aim to have nice day and finish the 50 miles, it is very intimidating.
My race vest weighed a total of 5.5kg. I decided to reduce it in the morning leaving out few gels and 4 protein bars. I also didn’t fill my third water flask (saving lugging around the additional 500g). The plan being when it was needed for the 10 miles to Housedean, I would have consumed 10 gels and thus carry no additional weight. I could see that many of the other runners couldn’t possibly have all the necessary "mandatory" race kit, let alone the gels and fuel for the 50 miles. So much for kit checks at registration, which were cancelled and replaced with random kit checks at the aid stations, eating into our valuable time. Considering the many that were clearly running light, I doubt very much if any kit checks were carried out during the event. There the results did highlight a few 1-hour penalties issued for each item of kit not carried or any of the other 18 RULES that may have been broken!
Weather
It was forecast to be cloudy in the morning with rain for 15minutes at 9:45am and again around 1:45pm. Sunshine forecast after 2pm. The biggest factor was the wind, which was forecast to be increasing throughout the day, a south westerly 20mph gusting 40mph with a max temperature 12decC feels like 10DegC. The consensus being the wind would be an aid not a hindrance.
Hill Barn to Botolphs
Off we go to the start and the pre race briefing, not that many of us could hear it even 30 feet away! It’s 8:30am and we are off. I chose (wisely) to be near the back so as not to block and frustrate the faster runners. Off up the grass field then on to Hill Barn Way and left up the trail. Not that I minded, but soon we were walking or stopped as everyone funnelled through a couple of bottlenecks. For me it was an opportunity to get my breath back.
The majority of the route (70%) is on rutted chalk farm tracks, with loose flints and flints protruding from the chalk. Termed "technical" in the ultra-running community - but in the real world, very difficult to run on. From personal experience, this presents a risk of a fall or injury such as an ankle sprain. Trail shoes are pretty much essential, but surprisingly (as Mr Elson does love to dictate) not mandatory.
Despite the risk, I ran as many uphill sections as I could manage walking the rest. Before the first downhill I was vying for last place with a young lady. I ran the downhills fast, catching up with others but as soon as the uphills reappeared I fell back. It would appear that I am really slow at walking/walking uphill. Nevertheless, on the grass at Chanctonbury Ring I sped up nicely downhill past the pig farm to Botolphs, completing the first stage (11m) in 2:27 giving me 33minutes leeway of the cut-off. My aim was to be 30 minutes ahead at the first aid station Botolphs as I knew I would be delayed crossing the busy road.
Botolphs to Saddlescombe Farm (6 miles)
Over the road (5 minutes to cross!) then up the long hill. I planned to walk this and re fuel. It was during this climb that I started to have hamstring pain, both legs, worse in the left. I had plenty of electrolyte tablets, salt tablets, gels of all sort and for the first time, I had Paracetamol. Careful not to overdose beyond the 2 every 4 hours, I found taking one Paracetamol along with a gel and salt tablets around 20 minutes before the walking ended and running started meant they all kicked in and I could run the downhill sections relatively pain free. I completed the second stage to Saddlescombe Farm in 1:36, leaving me 30 minutes ahead for the next cut-off – all going as planned.
Saddlescombe Farm to Housedean (10 miles)
This again begins with a challenging hill to Ditchling Beacon, undulating before descending downhill to Housedean. Thankfully, the route is mainly on grass although there can be ruts hidden in the long grass. But on the downhill I found the wind had changed to south and was a headwind for the last 4 miles and beyond. Just before the final descent, there is a short but very steep hill on mud path through trees, rising 52 feet in a few yards, difficult even to walk up. I arrived at Housedean Farm 2:42, leaving me 24 minutes ahead for the next cut-off – still all going as planned at 27 miles with 23 to go.
A question of Cut-Offs.
The remaining 23 miles was unchartered territory for me having only run the 31-mile Race to the King Ultra 50km in 2024. I began to wonder how strictly the aid station cut-offs are implemented. Asking the question at Housedean (in the process badly eating into my 24-minute leeway) what would happen if I was late by a minute or two for the cut off at an aid station? I was informed that even one second and you would be required to stop and your day would be over. Again I questioned it as I dreaded being 5 minutes late at Jevington with only 4 miles to go and just how unfair it would be. I was told of a chap that was half way around the running track at Eastbourne as the 13-hour cut-off came and he was not given a medal because he didn’t finish within the 13 hours, even though he was less than a minute over. Outside the aid station a nice lady said I was doing well, had time in hand and would complete the 50 miles it in time if I "walked the hills with purpose" Hmmmm.
Quite frankly, the prospect of no medal at the finish played on my mind for the rest of the day. For the first time, quitting early was being considered. No way was I running 50 miles and not getting a medal or being timed out for a few minutes at Alfriston or Jevington.
I thought of not giving them back the tracker unless I got my medal might do the trick, in any event it had the potential to be very unpleasant, which would be mainly from me!
Housedean to Southease (7 miles)
After getting to half way, many questioned whether to continue, especially given conditions with the 40mph wind now from the south, a headwind for a large chunk of the next hill climb. Halfway up at a gate were a herd of cattle on a "none shall pass" mission. I had to go through the gate without any escapees and gently usher these huge animals away from my path. Mission accomplished onwards to the most welcome famous "Yellow brick road" over half a mile of concrete road, mildly downhill and a pleasure to run on, with a opportunity to claw back the time lost of the hill. Transitioning to flat-ish chalk, which compared to earlier sections is also quite fast but run with care. Then there is a very steep un-runable downhill to the farm. Turning left on to the farm access road which is made up with road stone. A Range Rover was speeding along kicking up clouds of dust you couldn’t see through. Luckily the wind was a help this time. I stood upwind of the road and let the dust blow away before continuing. Just before a short climb to the railway station a nice lady with her family asked me "how far the Centurion was?". I replied "50-miles, I have another 16 to go" Wow she said.
I arrived at the Southease checkpoint, which is over the railway track and up a slight incline further eating into my time, just 4 minutes inside the cut-off. Water bottles were filled and I was all but told to go! I thought it somewhat rude as this is supposed to be fun, but the lady was actually trying to warn me I would be timed out. 34 miles covered (so far) the longest I have ever run in one go.
Southease to Alfriston (8miles)
It is hard to describe this leg without the memory of walking up the extensive hills. The trek up to Firle Beacon some 560 feet, on tired legs, in a 40mph cold wind with no sun and the prospect of even some rain calls into question your own sanity. Yes the rain did come. I wasted a good 5 minutes trying to get my waterproof on over my race vest (impossible) and then just put it on in that wind. Having then managed to get everything on and back to progressing, it actually stopped raining. The coat stayed on and was welcome as the temperature dipped further after sun vanished. Around 4 miles into the stage a lovely lady named Jade, collecting the route markers, caught me up and with her encouragement and help opening gates etc, and my stirling effort to run the whole downhill section as fast as I safely could, got me to the Alfriston aid station with just 3 minutes to spare. Asked what I would like, I replied a nice hot coffee. The reply was "you can forget that, that’s not going to happen" From the moment I signed up and all through the day, I was looking forward to a hot cup of coffee at Alfriston. So I gave her my water flasks which were ready and filled when I arrived inside and just had a few seconds to grab a couple of gels and a few slices of melon (the first that were available since Botolphs!) and that was that Go Go Go!
Alfristion to Jevington (4miles)
Whilst only 4 miles, it is up the steepest tallest hill climb around 600 feet over 2.1miles. Brutal. About half way up Jade caught up with me again and actually made me jump. It is quite scary in the twilight alone on the downs as darkness falls. We talked a bit, we ran a bit, the time ticked down. First it was I need to run 10 minute miles to get there before the cut-off time. Soon it was 9 minute miles. When it got to Roger Banister territory, I gave up trying as I knew 1) I would inevitably be timed out. 2) If I was by some miracle allowed to carry on there was no way I could safely run the next stage of 4 miles, which includes the "Gully of death" in darkness, even with my headlight and make the under 13-hour finish cut-off. That prospect of not getting a medal, darkness, safety issues, general fatigue and being freezing cold and getting colder meant that my day was over. I had my first ever Did Not Finish (DNR). Not because I couldn’t, but because I knew I wasn’t even being allowed to try. I firmly believe that had there been no cut-off time for the last two aid stations and at the finish, I would have actually finished and run the 50-miles. Having done so, I would have expected and earned my "finisher’s medal". Only James Elson’s race rules prevented me from fulfilling my bucket-list dream. Bastard!
You have to wonder whether an ultra such as this with these steep long hills is - a good run spoiled by walking, or a good walk spoiled by a running. It is certainly different from well-organised road marathons in every respect.
Please take the time to read my review on the next page detailing what was good and what was bad about this event.
On a personal level, my biggest mistake, apart from entering a Centurion event in the first place!, (there are much better Ultras such as Threshold Trail series and Ultra X) was my lingering at the aid stations where I wasted, according to the tracker record, a total of 48 minutes, being sociable with the volunteers, most of whom did not appear to be that talkative or friendly. I asked: Are you a runner? Yes? Have you run this? No, I did the 100. Housedean was informative but ultimately did my head no favours.
Will I do another Ultra?
Yes, but certainly never again with Centurion Running.
