After 14 years we are making some changes to the format of the classic South Downs Marathon Day. The routes of marathon and half marathon themselves remain unchanged but we are taking out the marathon relay and introducing a trail 10km in Queen Elizabeth Country Park.

Regrettably the lack of safe parking at two of the relay changeovers make us believe the relay is unsafe as most cars arrive at the changeover points in the same time frame and it has become a hazard and probably an accident waiting to happen. To make up for the loss of this popular element of the marathon we have brought in a 10km route entirely within Queen Elizabeth Country Park that will cover the first 2.5 miles of the half marathon route, divert on the Staunton Way and rejoin the return section of both the marathon and half marathon on the South Downs Way at the Buriton car park entrance.

As costs are growing year-on-year we would like to freeze the entry fee at the previous year’s level we have taken out the T-shirt, which will now be an option, and introduced a gift pack of High Five products and a 750ml drinks bottle for all runners valued at £12.

We are also offering free-to-download race photography to all runners.

Marathon

Starting at Slindon College at 9.00am the full marathon runners follow a route up onto the South Downs through woodland reaching the South Downs Way at 5.5 miles, then running west back to the finish at Queen Elizabeth Country Park. The free buses to take marathon runners to the start will depart from QE Park with the full marathon runners between 7 and 7.15am.

Drink stations: 5.5, 7.5, 13, 17, 20, 23 Miles. Gels at 13, 20 Miles

New: We have introduced a cut-off time of 7hrs on the route with intermediate cut-offs of 3hrs 15mins at 13 miles and 5hrs at 20 miles. Runners outside these times will be returned to the finish by minibus. This has been introduced as we can't keep the marshals and medical coverage out on the course for the increasingly extended periods of the last runners in the last two years.

ROUTE PROFILE

Half Marathon

Starting at Queen Elizabeth Country Park near Petersfield the half marathon follows a route through the Country Park then across fields to the Village of Chalton before picking up the Sussex Border Path, bringing you to the South Downs Way. The route then joins the Full Marathon route running west for 4 miles on the South Downs Way back through QE Park to the finish.

For 2018 we will have two wave starts to prevent congestion at the style after 3.5miles:

• 10.00am - Wave 1
• 10.15am - Wave 2

Waves will be split on estimated times on the entry data base to give two even waves.

ROUTE PROFILE

10km Trail Run

Taking in the first 2.4miles of the half marathon route, the course will divide and run on the Staunton Way up to where it joins the South Downs Trail as it enters QE Park at the Buriton Gate, the route then returns to the finish along the same route as the marathon and half marathon (South Downs Way). Essentially the route is a gradual climb up to halfway then a downhill return to the finish at Butser Hill. Start time 10.30am.

Timetable

Pricing

Please note: the event entry platform provider, Results Base, charges an admin/card processing fee of £2 per entry plus 1.25% per order