Martello Half Marathon Trail

Race Description

Seaford takes its name for this half marathon from the Napoleonic-era gun tower that still stands sentinel over its seafront - one of a chain of Martello towers built along the Sussex and Kent coast between 1805 and 1810 to guard against invasion from France, now preserved as the town's museum. The race itself, jointly organised by the Rotary Club of Martello Seaford and Seaford Striders, is considerably tougher than its coastal starting point suggests: after gathering at the Scout Hut on the Salts Recreation Ground, runners head up onto the South Downs, following stretches of the South Downs Way with sweeping views over the Cuckmere Valley and the Channel, before a sharp, exhilarating descent to Bishopstone and a long, flat run back along the seafront to the finish.

With around 354 metres of climbing across the half marathon distance, it's one of the hillier trail-and-road half marathons on this stretch of coast, and a strict cut-off at the first water station, requiring runners to reach roughly four miles within an hour, reflects how seriously the climb is taken. That mix of chalk downland trail, coastal path and seafront tarmac gives it a genuinely varied character that few flat coastal half marathons can match. It suits confident, hill-strong runners after a proper Downs challenge and a scenic day out rather than a flat PB attempt, and the strong local club and Rotary backing gives it the feel of a well-loved community event as much as a serious athletic test.