Peacehaven Trail 10k Trail

Race Description

Organised by Peacehaven Run Club and starting from Telscombe Playing Fields, this is a proper off-road day out rather than a road 10k with a trail label stuck on it. The route climbs onto the chalk bridleways above the town, picks up a stretch of the South Downs Way, and crosses the Greenwich Meridian line on the Meridian Trail before dropping back down through the older, quieter village of Telscombe itself - a cluster of flint cottages a world away from Peacehaven's seafront bungalows just over the hill.

With around 260 metres of climbing packed into the ten kilometres, it's a genuinely undulating multi-terrain course, sharing bridleways with walkers, cyclists and horse riders rather than running on closed ground, so it rewards sure footing and a bit of hill training more than raw road speed. The payoff for the climbing is the view: on a clear day the route looks out over the Channel and back across the Downs, and the meridian crossing gives runners a novelty landmark most 10k courses can't offer.

Run by a small, local club rather than a commercial promoter, it has the feel of a community event - marshals who know the paths, a water station, and prizes that go to genuine local placings rather than just age-grading. It suits runners who enjoy a scenic, challenging trail outing over a fast flat time, and anyone wanting an excuse to explore this stretch of the South Downs on foot.