Sunday 26th May 2024, Arundel Football Club.
4am: Check-in open.
4:45am: Check-in closes.
5am: Race start, Mill Road, Arundel.
10pm: Race finish
Race registration will take part at Arundel Football Club, Mill Road, Arundel, BN18 9PA and the race start will be just outside the Football Club on Mill Road.
The race will finish at Helen Garden, Royal Parade, Eastbourne, BN20 7XL.
There will be free parking available at Mill Road Car Park on the morning of the race next to Arundel Football Club. Unfortunately, you will not be able to leave your car in this car park for the remainder of the day. It is only for being dropped off. There are plenty of places to park in nearby streets around Arundel if you are returning to the start after the race.
There will be toilets available at the start in the football club.
There will be plenty of parking at the finish line in the nearby streets. The train station is a two-mile walk from the finish line, however there will be regular shuttles to take runners from the finish line if you so choose. There will also be a large marquee, toilets, seating, food/drink, music and, massage.
There will be 8 very well stocked aid stations along the route which are listed below. Aid stations will carry a wide range of food and drink and will cater for everyone’s needs including vegan, vegetarian and gluten free.
There is a time limit of 17 hours to finish the race. There will be additional cut-offs at all, of the aid stations, along the route. These are shown in the table above.
Runners will have the option of leaving a drop bag at registration. This bag will be transported to the halfway point at Housedean Farm where it will be kept safe and ready for your collection. Please keep these bags as small as possible. Please be aware that if you would like to transfer the drop bag to the finish line after using it then it will not be transported until after the last runner has left Housedean Farm. With travel time it should arrive at the finish by 4:30pm. If you finish before this time and are not willing to wait for it then please do not use the option to have a drop bag. Items will not be posted to owners nor will they be kept as lost property. They will be collected and given to Charity.
Crews and spectators are very welcome to come along and support their runners throughout the day. It is however very important for the future of the race that they behave in a sensible manner throughout. There are privately owned car parks along the route that can become overcrowded very quickly and spectators must take it upon themselves to follow the rules of any certain car park. Not following these rules by parking on grass verges and in places that are not official parking spaces etc just because they are there to watch the race will not go down well and could put the future of the race in jeopardy. If a certain car park is full then please just move on to the next one. Any crew not acting sensibly will result in the disqualification of their runner.
Crews and spectators can meet runners along the route, however please not at aid station locations. This is by request of the landowners and is very important.
Runners will also have the option of leaving a finish line bag at registration. This is limited to one bag per runner. The bag will be transported to the finish line area safe and ready for your collection. Please ensure the bag is clearly marked with your name and bib number. Again, we will not post or hold any bags that are not collected by the end of the event.
Pacers are not permitted during the race other than for any runner leaving the last aid station in East Dean after 7.30pm. This is for safety reasons of running in the dark.
The course is predominantly on easy going trails with small road sections as well. At the time of year the race takes place, the ground should be dry and hard we therefore suggest that both road running and trail shoes are suitable.
Runners must carry the following equipment with them at all times and, will be disqualified for failing kit checks. Inspections will take place at any time during and, after the race.
It is not mandatory but we do suggest you bring a foldable cup as the race will be cup less.
A large part of the route will be on the South Downs Way and on these sections, there will be South Downs Way way-marker posts showing the acorn sign symbolizing a National Trail. The two exceptions to this are the first 6km from Arundel where the path heads up towards Houghton and the section at 81km where the race leaves the Trail and enters the Friston Forest before reattaching on to the South Downs Way at Birling Gap. These two sections will be well marked. A map and compass are not necessary although. It is never a bad idea. Even though the course will be thoroughly marked it is the runner’s responsibility to navigate it successfully. We do however suggest you try and recce the route as much as possible and, also download the GPX file onto your GPS/mobile device. Either way the markings will be more than enough for everyone to navigate the route.
There will be an experienced team of race medics available to runners before, during and after the event including first aid teams, response cars and ambulances. There is the possibility due to some locations on the course that the medical team might take some time to reach you. In this situation you should call 999.
There will be a shuttle bus service in operation on the morning of the race, travelling from Eastbourne to Arundel. Any entrants staying Eastbourne before the event will be able to choose this option along with any local-residents. The bus will depart at 3 am from the Langham Hotel on the seafront at a cost of £15 per ticket. Places can be booked during the checkout process.
There are many accommodation options available near the finish line to relax and spend the night. However, if you do need to get back to the start, there will be a bus service in operation travelling back to Arundel. This will depart at 10.30pm and will cost £15 per ticket. Places can be booked during the checkout process.
There will also be a small shuttle service available after the race, which will transport all entrants that wish to use it, to the local train station and nearby hotels. This is free of charge and will depart every 30 mins.