Compiled and fact-checked by Tommo, Verus founder · Last verified August 2026 · Spot an error?

Running · Ultra Marathons

Winter Downs 200 2026

Race day
Wednesday, 9 December 2026
Location
Dorking, Surrey — a loop of the southern national trails, UK
Distance
200 mi / 321.9 km

Winter Downs 200: 9 December 2026, 200 miles, from Juniper Hall, Old London Road, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6DA. Entry, route, a pace chart and the race-day forecast.

90Days

Winter Downs 200 Race Timeline

Training Phase Build Phase Taper Race Week Race Day Race Completed

90 days to go

This is where the real training happens — building your long run and getting comfortable with ultra race-pace.

Indicative profile — scaled to 22500ft total gain

Winter Downs 200 2026: quick answers

When is Winter Downs 200 2026?

Winter Downs 200 2026 takes place on Wednesday, 9 December 2026, starting at 08:00.

What time does Winter Downs 200 start?

Winter Downs 200 starts at 08:00 from Juniper Hall, Old London Road, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6DA.

Where does Winter Downs 200 start and finish?

Winter Downs 200 starts at Juniper Hall, Old London Road, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6DA and finishes at Juniper Hall, Dorking, Surrey.

How many miles is Winter Downs 200?

Winter Downs 200 is 200 miles (321.9km).

How much elevation gain does Winter Downs 200 have?

Winter Downs 200 has approximately 22500ft of total elevation gain. 22,500ft (6,858m) of ascent across 200 miles, per the organiser — that works out at roughly 113ft of climb per mile. The going: the southern national trails — north downs way, vanguard way, south downs way, wayfarers walk and st swithuns way, in december.

How much does Winter Downs 200 cost to enter?

£600. Entry is by application rather than sale: Centurion look for substantial long-distance experience, and note that a runner who has completed a single-stage 100-mile trail event would stand a good chance. Adventure sports, mountaineering and winter travel experience count in your favour.

Key Race Metrics & Overview

Date
Wednesday, 9 December 2026
Distance
200 miles / 321.9km
Location
Dorking, Surrey — a loop of the southern national trails, UK
Start Point
Juniper Hall, Old London Road, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6DA
Finish Point
Juniper Hall, Dorking, Surrey
Start time
08:00
Elevation gain
22500 ft (6858m)
Surface
The southern national trails — North Downs Way, Vanguard Way, South Downs Way, Wayfarers Walk and St Swithuns Way, in December
Cut-off time
96 hours — four days.

Not published by the organiser at the time of writing: age requirement, tracking app. Verus records these as unconfirmed rather than estimating them — check the official race website closer to race day.

Direct Entry Summary

£600. Entry is by application rather than sale: Centurion look for substantial long-distance experience, and note that a runner who has completed a single-stage 100-mile trail event would stand a good chance. Adventure sports, mountaineering and winter travel experience count in your favour.

Ballot Policy

No ballot — entry is direct through Centurion Running.

Winter Downs 200 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.

Winter Downs 200 Route Map & Elevation Profile

Starting at Juniper Hall, Old London Road, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6DA and finishing at Juniper Hall, Dorking, Surrey. 22500 ft of total elevation gain across 200 miles.

Is Winter Downs 200 flat?

22,500ft (6,858m) of ascent across 200 miles, per the organiser — that works out at roughly 113ft of climb per mile. The going: the southern national trails — north downs way, vanguard way, south downs way, wayfarers walk and st swithuns way, in december.

Winter Downs 200 Course Profile

22500 ft total elevation gain.

Startmi 100.0200mi

Tap a point on the course for details.

mi 0.0

Juniper Hall, Old London Road, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6DA

Start line.

Where Winter Downs 200 starts and finishes

Winter Downs 200 starts at Juniper Hall, Old London Road, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6DA and finishes at Juniper Hall, Dorking, Surrey. 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.

Full Winter Downs 200 Route Breakdown

A 200-mile continuous loop of southern England, starting at Juniper Hall beneath Box Hill: east on the North Downs Way for 18 miles, south on the Vanguard Way for 45 to Alfriston, then nearly 80 miles west along the South Downs Way, north through the Wayfarers Walk and St Swithuns Way for 32 miles back to Farnham, and a final 25 miles on the North Downs Way to the finish. 22,500ft of ascent across four days in December.

Winter Downs 200 Pace Calculator & Splits

Winter Downs 200 Pace Calculator

Enter a target finish time to see your pace and projected splits.

hrs
min
sec
target time

Average pace / mile

1:12

Average pace / km

0:45

5K3:44
10K7:27
Half Marathon15:44
30K22:22
Finish4:00:00

Winter Downs 200 Pace Chart

Split markers calculated for standard checkpoints — no official pacers are confirmed for this event.

Target Pace /mi Pace /km 5K10KHalf Marathon30KFinish
3:00 0:54 0:34 2:485:3611:4816:473:00:00
3:15 0:59 0:36 3:026:0412:4718:113:15:00
3:30 1:03 0:39 3:166:3113:4619:343:30:00
3:45 1:08 0:42 3:306:5914:4520:583:45:00
4:00 1:12 0:45 3:447:2715:4422:224:00:00
4:15 1:17 0:48 3:587:5516:4323:464:15:00
4:30 1:21 0:50 4:128:2317:4225:104:30:00
4:45 1:26 0:53 4:268:5118:4126:344:45:00
5:00 1:30 0:56 4:409:1919:4027:585:00:00
5:30 1:39 1:02 5:0810:1521:3830:455:30:00
6:00 1:48 1:07 5:3611:1123:3633:336:00:00
6:30 1:57 1:13 6:0412:0725:3436:216:30:00
7:00 2:06 1:18 6:3113:0327:3239:097:00:00

Winter Downs 200 Finish Time Estimator

Enter a recent 5K, 10K or Half Marathon time to estimate your Winter Downs 200 finish time.

Your 5K time

hrs
min
sec

Estimated Winter Downs 200 finish

34:26:11

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 Winter Downs 200, set your goal pace, and let Verus track your countdown, training and fundraising in one place.

Start Your Verus Journey

Winter Downs 200 Race Day Checklist

Tap items to mark off your race-day readiness.

0/4
  • Race number attached, and any timing chip fitted per your race pack instructions
  • Weather-appropriate kit, plus something warm and disposable to discard before the start
  • A plan for reaching Juniper Hall, Old London Road, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6DA
  • A meeting point agreed with family and friends for after the race

Training Strategy for Winter Downs 200

Standard Training Window

20-24 weeks is the realistic window for a first 200-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.

Terrain Specificity

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.

The Taper Phase

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 Juniper Hall, Old London Road, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6DA with fresh feet and a rested gut rather than one more long run in the bank.

Pacing Execution

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.

Fuel & Hydration Prep

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.

200-Mile Ultra Nutrition & Fueling Plan

2-3 Days Prior

A deliberate increase in carbohydrate over the two to three days before the race is the well-established approach at marathon distance.

Race Morning

Eat a carbohydrate-focused breakfast two to three hours before the start, and stick to something you've already tested in training rather than trying anything new.

On-Course Fueling

Most runners take on carbohydrate every 30 to 45 minutes from about an hour in, alongside fluid at the on-course stations.

Post-Race Recovery

A mix of carbohydrate and protein in the hour or so after finishing supports recovery.

Winter Downs 200 Charity Places 2026

No formal charity-place scheme published — runners commonly fundraise for a charity of their own choosing.

Impactful Storytelling

Lead with your personal story — explain why the charity matters to you. Personal connection generates 3x more support than a generic link broadcast.

Social Campaign Milestones

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 Winter Downs 200 for charity?

Link your JustGiving page to Verus and show up right here alongside other Winter Downs 200 fundraisers — goal, progress and story, all in one place.

Add Your Fundraiser to Verus

Travel & Logistics

Road closures

No road closures — the Winter Downs 200 is run off-road (The southern national trails — North Downs Way, Vanguard Way, South Downs Way, Wayfarers Walk and St Swithuns Way, in December), so local traffic is unaffected.

Winter Downs 200 Frequently Asked Questions

Everything you need to know for race weekend.

Race details independently compiled and fact-checked by Tommo against the official Winter Downs 200 site , last verified August 2026. Always confirm official timings and policies directly prior to race day.