Falmer, United Kingdom · Saturday, May 23, 2026

Fixed Distance 50K

South Downs 50 km

Race completed

50 km Distance

3,600 m Climbing

7.9 Grit · Hardcore

50.8628° N, 0.0771° W © OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles Data from OpenStreetMap

What the course asks

Climbing rate 72 m / km Vertical. Extreme verticality. This is a technical mountain course with sustained steep grades.

Time limit 11 hours 13:12 min/km average. Generous. Walkable throughout for most of the field. More forgiving than 62% of 50K races. Measured against 982 races of the same distance. Cut-off calculator →

Field size ~188 Mid-sized. Company early, well spread out by halfway.

DUV results for the 2026 edition (50km) — finishers only. Starters are not published, so the field was at least this big and no finish rate can be given.

Typical conditions, May

Daytime high 16°C

Night low 8°C

Rainfall Mostly dry

Daylight 15 h 51 m of light

Regional 2001-2020 average for May — NASA POWER, grid elevation 55 m. Not a forecast.

The Aid Station

Course-specific beta from the community

⛰️ terrain

This is a vertical course. Poles are highly recommended for the sustained climbs.

By UltraHub Expert

👟 gear

With trail terrain, choose a shoe with moderate cushioning for optimal performance.

By UltraHub Expert

Gear for this race

Chosen for 50 km of trail with 3,600 m of ascent.

Trail Running Shoes 72 m of climb per kilometre — grip and rock protection before cushioning.
Race Nutrition 50 km of self-supported fuelling between aid stations.
Hydration Vests Pole attachment and chest-strap stability on steep ground.
Trekking Poles 3,600 m of ascent to walk up.
GPS Watches Battery life first — a 50 km day outlasts most full-GPS modes.

La Sportiva

Prodigio Pro

$225 ★★★★★ 4.6

Adidas

Terrex Speed Ultra

★★★★★ 4.5

Skratch Labs

Sport Hydration Mix

Clean electrolyte drink mix with real fruit flavor. Low sugar.

$20 ★★★★★ 4.5

Nathan

VaporKrar 12L

12L race vest co-designed with ultra champion Rob Krar, with insulated bladder pocket.

$170 ★★★★★ 4.6

Black Diamond

Distance FLZ

Lightweight folding trekking poles with FlickLock Z adjustment. 340g per pole.

$170 ★★★★★ 4.7

COROS

APEX 2 Pro

GPS running watch with 75-hour GPS battery, topo maps, and training metrics.

$500 ★★★★★ 4.7

All gear guides →

Course Notes

99% trail, 1% road. A 50km point to point trail race from Falmer to Eastbourne. The race passes through the stunning South Downs National Park and some of nicest trails the U.K. has to offer before finishing over the iconic white cliffs of Beachy Hea

Similar races

Other 50K trail ultras, closest in distance first.