Parking, route quirks, pacing advice and local amenities — practical knowledge shared by runners who've actually done the race.
One look at the elevation graph shows you the challenge ahead: from the dip at Powdermills to the top of North Trade Road, it's a real long slog uphill. One year I was running 5K PB pace through 3K — safe to say it did not go well from that point on."
The 30K route runs very long - so much so that you will see the 30km race marker well before you get to the finish line. Expect 31km+ for total distance.
Don't forget your free pint at the finish. Impossible to miss the pub!!
If you park near the finish it's a nice walk to the start line on the Wealdway path. You should see a few other runners using that path. I often do a little warm up jog along the path to get to the start.
HHM have some brilliant pacers now. It's a really difficult route to get your pacing right with the hills. So if you can run with an official pacer, even if only for the first uphill section, stick with them. The 2 hour male pacer is particularly good 😜
The official car parking is a long walk from the start/finish area. I'd recommend using the train station, which is closer and has always had spaces when I've run — there's a small fee, but it's worth it, especially post-race, when your legs are no longer doing what your brain tells them.
Share the local knowledge that'd help someone running it for the first time — where to park, a tricky bit of the route, the best pacing strategy for the hills, or where to grab a coffee afterwards. Leave a tip from your dashboard or from the race's own page. Tips appear here once an admin has reviewed them.