Schedule
Friday 22nd May 2026, Helen Gardens, Eastbourne, BN20 7XL. What3Word location
5pm Registration 1 opens
8pm Registration 1 closes
Saturday 23rd May 2026, Helen Gardens, Eastbourne, BN20 7XL
8.45am: Registration 2 opens.
10am: Registration 2 closes.
10.15am: Race start
6.15pm: Race finish
There will be two opportunities to collect Race Numbers (Bibs) This can be done for Registration 1 on the Friday evening in Eastbourne or Registration 2 on the Saturday morning.
Race Start/Finish
Race HQ will be in Helen Garden, Eastbourne. The race will also start and finish here.
Race numbers must be collected at registration. This is a very quick process with little queuing time so please don’t feel you need to arrive super early. The starting fields are not big at all and you will have your race number within a couple of minutes.
There will be plenty of parking at the start/finish line in the nearby residential streets and on the seafront of Eastbourne. The train station is a 1.5 mile walk from the finish line, however there will be free regular shuttles to take runners from the finish line after the race to nearby hotels and local public transport stations. This service is free of charge and does not have to be booked. it will leave roughly every 30 mins from next to the finish line. There will also be a large marquee, toilets, seating, food/drink, and music at the finish.
Race Start/Finish
Race HQ will be in Helen Garden, Eastbourne. The race will start and finish here.
Race numbers must be collected at registration and will not be posted out beforehand.
There will be plenty of parking at the start/finish line in the nearby residential streets of Eastbourne and on the seafront. Some of this parking is free and some is pay and display. The train station is a 1.5 mile walk from the finish line, however there will be free regular shuttles to take runners from the finish line after the race to nearby hotels and local public transport stations. This service is free of charge and does not have to be booked. it will leave roughly every 30 mins from next to the finish line. There will also be a large marquee, toilets, seating, food/drink, and music at the finish.
Runner Details
Please make sure that all the information you have given us is correct and updated if it has changed since signing up. This includes Next of Kin details, your mobile number, any medical issues and medication you are taking. This is all very important if a situation arises during the race. You can update this by going to your Eventrac account or if you don’t have one, then the confirmation email you received when entering will enable you to manage your entry. If you can’t find this email, then please get in touch and we can send you another.
SUSTAINABLE TRAVEL
Most of the emissions created by events are from road vehicle travel. Eastbourne Train Station is located about one and a half miles from Race HQ so please do your best to come by train and walk or cycle from there and reduce the emissions created. The environmental impact of travelling by road is massively reduced if the vehicle is full so please do your best to car share with others where possible.
Bus services
There will 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.
accommodation and travel
There are various accommodation options nearby to Race HQ in Helen Gardens. Details can be seen HERE
Route GPX
Please be sure to download the GPX file as close to race day as possible. Route GPX
Awards
All finishers will receive a medal. Trophies will be awarded to the winners only, not second and third places.
Prizes will also be given to each age category winners only, not second and third place. The categories are male and female 40+, 50+, 60+, 70+. These will be sent out after the event.
Finish Line Bags
Runners will have the choice of leaving their finish line bag at the start area where it will be kept safe and ready for your collection
Aid Stations
There will be 3 very well stocked Aid Stations along the route which are listed below. Aid Stations will carry a wide range of food and drink. They will cater for everyone’s needs including vegan, vegetarian and gluten free:
- Bananas
- Watermelon
- Dates
- Crisps
- Dissolvable electrolyte tablets
- Jam, cheese, cheese and pickle, chocolate spread, Marmite sandwiches all made with vegan spread
- Homemade vegan/gluten free lemon drizzle cake (contains almonds)
- Skittles (vegan) and Jelly Babies
- Coke
- Soreen (vegan)
- Jaffa Cakes
- Chocolate
- Homemade flapjack
- Sausage rolls (Normal and Vegan)
- Water
- Squash
- Ribena
Cutoffs
All runners must be finished by 5.15pm.
Finish Line Bags
Runners will have the choice of leaving their finish line bag at the start area in Helen Garden, Eastbourne.
Crews, pacers and supporters
There are no crew or pacers allowed at the event. Supporters are welcome along the route but please not at the aid station locations. We will disqualify any runner whose supporters turn up at these locations.
Mandatory Kit
There is no mandatory kit for this race but we do suggest you bring a foldable cup as the race will be cup less.
Route Markers and Navigation
We will mark the route thoroughly with UK Ultra arrows and UK Ultra ribbons. A map and compass are not necessary at all although, 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 strongly suggest you download the GPX file onto a GPS device or mobile. Unfortunately, sometimes markers do get removed by members of the public or turned in the opposite direction.
Even though we will mark the route as thoroughly as possible, please don't rely on this. Having the GPX downloaded will save you a lot of hassle in this situation as it is very accurate, and you can easily navigate the route with this alone if markers are tampered with. This doesn't happen very often however, all it takes is for one marker to be tampered with to send you in the wrong direction.
Trail etiquette
Please be aware that the race route follows trails, paths and fields that will be shared by other members of the public and livestock. It is very important to be polite, courteous, and kind at all times. Just because you are in a race does not give you priority over them. Please be cautious when running through fields with livestock. Please approach and pass them slowly and cautiously.
The route backs onto homes at many points during the race, but please be especially considerate in the early morning where the race passes through residential areas. There must be absolutely no littering along the course. Anyone seen doing so will be disqualified. There will also be times where the race passes through farmers’ fields with livestock in, and it is essential that all gates are please closed after using them. Failure to do this will obviously mean livestock can potentially escape. Anyone seen not closing gates will be disqualified. It is that important.
Rules
Please be sure to read through these before the event. Rules
Medical
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.
Photography
We have teamed up with The Graphic Corner Sussex to cover the event. These images will be FREE to all runners and will be available a few days after the event.
Please do not get in touch asking when they will be ready immediately after the event. This has nothing to do with us and the photos will be ready once the photographer has had time to process them all. As soon as they are ready they will be made available on the website and sent out via email.
UTMB, ITRA and DUV Statistics
South Downs 20 miles is a UTMB Index Race and offers ITRA points. Results will be sent to UTMB and ITRA about a week after the event has finished so please be patient with this. If you would not like us to share your results with them then please let us know.