Compiled and fact-checked by Tommo, Verus founder · Last verified August 2026 · Spot an error?
Running · Ultra Marathons
South Downs Way 50 2027
- Race day
- Saturday, 10 April 2027
- Location
- Worthing to Eastbourne, Sussex
- Distance
- 50 mi / 80.5 km
South Downs Way 50: 10 April 2027. Centurion's 50-mile Worthing to Eastbourne ultra — date, entry, qualification, aid stations, the 13-hour cut-off.
South Downs Way 50 Race Timeline
212 days to go
More than 126 days out — a good window to build a consistent base before ultra-specific training ramps up.
South Downs Way 50 2027: quick answers
When is South Downs Way 50 2027?
South Downs Way 50 2027 takes place on Saturday, 10 April 2027, starting at 08:30.
What time does South Downs Way 50 start?
South Downs Way 50 starts at 08:30 from Hillbarn Recreation Ground, Hill Barn Lane, Worthing, West Sussex BN14 9QF.
Where does South Downs Way 50 start and finish?
South Downs Way 50 starts at Hillbarn Recreation Ground, Hill Barn Lane, Worthing, West Sussex BN14 9QF and finishes at Eastbourne Sports Club athletics track, Cross Levels Way, Eastbourne BN21 2UF.
How many miles is South Downs Way 50?
South Downs Way 50 is 50 miles (80.5km).
How much elevation gain does South Downs Way 50 have?
South Downs Way 50 has approximately 5700ft of total elevation gain. No. 5,700ft (1,750m) of ascent across 50 miles, all of it in the repeated up-and-down of the chalk ridge rather than any single big climb. Individually none of the climbs is severe; cumulatively they are what makes the race. The exposure matters as much as the gradient — the South Downs Way runs along an open ridge with almost no shelter, so a headwind or an April squall is felt for hours at a time.
How much does South Downs Way 50 cost to enter?
Entry is £118, or £120 for runners unaffiliated to UKA. Registration for 2027 opens at 19:00 on 26 April 2026, with 650 places allocated first come, first served — Centurion races typically sell out quickly. You must have completed at least a marathon-distance race within that event's cut-off between 1 January 2022 and race day to qualify.
How can I track a runner at South Downs Way 50?
Centurion run live tracking and results at their races, with splits published from the aid stations so supporters can follow a runner along the ridge.
Key Race Metrics & Overview
- Date
- Saturday, 10 April 2027
- Distance
- 50 miles / 80.5km
- Location
- Worthing to Eastbourne, Sussex
- Start Point
- Hillbarn Recreation Ground, Hill Barn Lane, Worthing, West Sussex BN14 9QF
- Finish Point
- Eastbourne Sports Club athletics track, Cross Levels Way, Eastbourne BN21 2UF
- Start time
- 08:30
- Elevation gain
- 5700 ft (1737m)
- Surface
- 85% trail, 15% road — chalk downland ridge, grass, flint track and short road links.
- Cut-off time
- 13 hours overall, with intermediate cut-offs at the aid stations along the way.
- Age requirement
- No minimum age is stated on the official race page. The qualification standard effectively rules out most under-18s.
- Tracking app
- Centurion run live tracking and results at their races, with splits published from the aid stations so supporters can follow a runner along the ridge.
Direct Entry Summary
Entry is £118, or £120 for runners unaffiliated to UKA. Registration for 2027 opens at 19:00 on 26 April 2026, with 650 places allocated first come, first served — Centurion races typically sell out quickly. You must have completed at least a marathon-distance race within that event's cut-off between 1 January 2022 and race day to qualify.
Ballot Policy
No ballot — first come, first served when entries open, with 650 places available.
South Downs Way 50 Race Day Weather
A real forecast appears here once one exists for race day — usually about a week to ten days out. Nothing is shown until then, because a made-up forecast is worse than none.
South Downs Way 50 Route Map & Elevation Profile
Starting at Hillbarn Recreation Ground, Hill Barn Lane, Worthing, West Sussex BN14 9QF and finishing at Eastbourne Sports Club athletics track, Cross Levels Way, Eastbourne BN21 2UF. 5700 ft of total elevation gain across 50 miles.
Is South Downs Way 50 flat?
No. 5,700ft (1,750m) of ascent across 50 miles, all of it in the repeated up-and-down of the chalk ridge rather than any single big climb. Individually none of the climbs is severe; cumulatively they are what makes the race. The exposure matters as much as the gradient — the South Downs Way runs along an open ridge with almost no shelter, so a headwind or an April squall is felt for hours at a time.
South Downs Way 50 Course Profile
5700 ft total elevation gain.
Tap a point on the course for details.
Hillbarn Recreation Ground, Hill Barn Lane, Worthing, West Sussex BN14 9QF
Start line.
Where South Downs Way 50 starts and finishes
South Downs Way 50 starts at Hillbarn Recreation Ground, Hill Barn Lane, Worthing, West Sussex BN14 9QF and finishes at Eastbourne Sports Club athletics track, Cross Levels Way, Eastbourne BN21 2UF. We haven't been able to place those on a map accurately enough to show one — a pin in the wrong place is worse than no pin.
These are the start and finish points, not the route. Verus doesn't hold course files for this race, and drawing a line between two pins would be a guess you might end up training on. The official course map is the one to use: view it on the organiser's site .
Full South Downs Way 50 Route Breakdown
Fifty miles east along the South Downs Way from Worthing to Eastbourne. It starts on public footpaths out of Hillbarn Recreation Ground and joins the South Downs Way just before Chanctonbury Ring, then holds the chalk ridge almost the whole way — big open downland with the sea on one side and the Weald on the other. The closing miles drop through Alfriston and Jevington before the last climb over the Downs and the descent into Eastbourne, finishing on the athletics track at Eastbourne Sports Club.
South Downs Way 50 Pace Calculator & Splits
South Downs Way 50 Pace Calculator
Enter a target finish time to see your pace and projected splits.
Average pace / mile
4:48
Average pace / km
2:59
South Downs Way 50 Pace Chart
Split markers calculated for standard checkpoints — no official pacers are confirmed for this event.
| Target | Pace /mi | Pace /km | 5K | 10K | Half Marathon | 30K | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3:00 | 3:36 | 2:14 | 11:11 | 22:22 | 47:12 | 1:07:06 | 3:00:00 |
| 3:15 | 3:54 | 2:25 | 12:07 | 24:14 | 51:08 | 1:12:42 | 3:15:00 |
| 3:30 | 4:12 | 2:37 | 13:03 | 26:06 | 55:04 | 1:18:18 | 3:30:00 |
| 3:45 | 4:30 | 2:48 | 13:59 | 27:58 | 59:00 | 1:23:53 | 3:45:00 |
| 4:00 | 4:48 | 2:59 | 14:55 | 29:50 | 1:02:56 | 1:29:29 | 4:00:00 |
| 4:15 | 5:06 | 3:10 | 15:51 | 31:41 | 1:06:51 | 1:35:04 | 4:15:00 |
| 4:30 | 5:24 | 3:21 | 16:47 | 33:33 | 1:10:47 | 1:40:40 | 4:30:00 |
| 4:45 | 5:42 | 3:33 | 17:43 | 35:25 | 1:14:43 | 1:46:15 | 4:45:00 |
| 5:00 | 6:00 | 3:44 | 18:38 | 37:17 | 1:18:39 | 1:51:51 | 5:00:00 |
| 5:30 | 6:36 | 4:06 | 20:30 | 41:01 | 1:26:31 | 2:03:02 | 5:30:00 |
| 6:00 | 7:12 | 4:28 | 22:22 | 44:44 | 1:34:23 | 2:14:13 | 6:00:00 |
| 6:30 | 7:48 | 4:51 | 24:14 | 48:28 | 1:42:15 | 2:25:24 | 6:30:00 |
| 7:00 | 8:24 | 5:13 | 26:06 | 52:12 | 1:50:07 | 2:36:35 | 7:00:00 |
South Downs Way 50 Finish Time Estimator
Enter a recent 5K, 10K or Half Marathon time to estimate your South Downs Way 50 finish time.
Your 5K time
Estimated South Downs Way 50 finish
7:55:19
An estimate only, based on Pete Riegel's race-time prediction formula. Real marathon performance depends on endurance, training specificity, pacing and race-day conditions — not just your speed over a shorter distance.
Training for a different distance? Try the full pace calculator, race time predictor or pace chart.
Got your target time? Save it to your profile.
Tag South Downs Way 50, set your goal pace, and let Verus track your countdown, training and fundraising in one place.
Start Your Verus JourneySouth Downs Way 50 Race Day Checklist
Tap items to mark off your race-day readiness.
- The full Centurion mandatory kit list: mobile phone, 1 litre water capacity, survival blanket (1.4m x 2m), waterproof jacket rated 10,000mm+ with sealed seams, whistle, headtorch of 100+ lumens plus a backup, warm hat, gloves, a dry long-sleeved layer, and a cup
- Your own cup — Centurion races are cupless at aid stations
- Proof of your qualifying race, if asked for at registration
- Trail shoes with grip for chalk and flint, which get slick when wet
- Sun cream and a cap — the ridge is completely exposed, even in April
- Nutrition to supplement the aid stations, tested on your long runs
- Warm dry clothes in your finish bag for the track at Eastbourne
Training Strategy for South Downs Way 50
20-24 weeks is the realistic window for a first 50-mile ultra, assuming you already have a marathon's worth of base behind you. The block that matters is back-to-back long weekends — a long run on Saturday followed by a second, slower one on Sunday — which builds time on feet and teaches you to run on tired legs without the recovery cost of one enormous day. Practise your race-day nutrition on every one of them; at this distance the stomach fails before the legs do.
This is a largely flat course, so most of your long runs can mirror that — flat and steady, building time on feet rather than hill strength.
Drop volume hard across the final three to four weeks — further out and steeper than a marathon taper, because a 30-mile training day costs weeks of recovery, not days. Keep some easy running and a little terrain-specific work in, but the goal is to reach Hillbarn Recreation Ground, Hill Barn Lane, Worthing, West Sussex BN14 9QF with fresh feet and a rested gut rather than one more long run in the bank.
Lock in your target pace using the interactive splits calculator below — no official pacers are confirmed for this event, so a pace band on your watch is the more reliable option.
Test your race-day fuel and hydration plan on your long training runs, not for the first time on race day — check the Race Day Checklist below for what's actually on this course.
50-Mile Ultra Nutrition & Fueling Plan
A modest carbohydrate increase across the two or three days before, and nothing new. Fifty miles is far enough that a gut problem ends the day.
A carbohydrate breakfast two to three hours before the 08:30 start, of something already tested on long runs.
Seven aid stations across 50 miles means roughly seven miles between them — close enough that you do not need to carry a great deal, but you do need to eat at each one rather than only drinking. Hot drinks at Alfriston and Jevington are worth planning around on a cold April day.
Hot food is served at the finish. Eat there rather than waiting until you get home.
South Downs Way 50 Charity Places 2027
No formal charity-place scheme is published. Runners are free to fundraise on their own entry.
Lead with your personal story — explain why the charity matters to you. Personal connection generates 3x more support than a generic link broadcast.
Share key training milestones on Instagram (first 10-miler, peak week, race week) with your fundraising link in bio. Publicly thanking donors prompts secondary gifts!
Running South Downs Way 50 for charity?
Link your JustGiving page to Verus and show up right here alongside other South Downs Way 50 fundraisers — goal, progress and story, all in one place.
Add Your Fundraiser to VerusWhere to Stay for South Downs Way 50
Eastbourne
At the finish, with the widest hotel choice on the route and a station for getting home. The obvious base for the night after.
Fifty miles from the start, so race morning means a train or drive west to Worthing.
Worthing
Closest to an 08:30 start, with seafront hotels and a station a mile and a half from Hillbarn.
You finish 50 miles away in Eastbourne and have to get back.
Alfriston / Seaford
Near the end of the course and in the prettiest part of it — good for crew who want to see runners late on and then be near the finish.
Limited accommodation, and not convenient for the start.
Travel & Logistics
Worthing station is around a mile and a half from the Hillbarn start. Eastbourne station is close to the Sports Club finish, and both are on the Southern network — which makes a train out to the start and a train home from the finish the tidiest option for a point-to-point race.
No Park & Ride scheme. Parking is at the start and finish venues — check the current race information for capacity and restrictions.
None — the route is on the South Downs Way and other rights of way.
Spectator & Cheer Guide
The aid stations are the designated spectator points. Alfriston is the pick of them: a village late in the race, easily reached by road, with a real sense of runners arriving in trouble or arriving flying.
The ridge crosses a road every few miles, so it is one of the more followable ultras in the country — but parking at the crossings is limited and rural. Two or three stops plus the finish is realistic.
Centurion run live tracking and results at their races, with splits published from the aid stations so supporters can follow a runner along the ridge.
South Downs Way 50 Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know for race weekend.
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Race details independently compiled and fact-checked by Tommo against the official South Downs Way 50 site , last verified August 2026. Always confirm official timings and policies directly prior to race day.