The Dark Downs 20 mile is a beautiful route in a stunning location, through the South Downs National Park. It is an achievable single loop trail race that is a great option for first time trail runners and, also a great way to prepare for longer events later in the year.

There is something quite unique about running at night. The atmosphere, the camaraderie, the challenge, the novelty, and the cooler temperatures all make for a fantastic experience and this race will hopefully provide all of this. The South Downs as always will bring rolling hills, runnable trails, and are also ideal for a race in the dark due to its untechnical terrain.

Night running is something that a lot of ultras require nowadays, so not only is this a great race in itself, it is also a great opportunity to get out and get some night running experience in a race format. Great practice for any upcoming ultras and especially our Winter races later in the year. As with all our races, the route is fully marked with highly reflective signs and regular, fully stocked Aid Stations. Please note that the entry fee for this race is slightly higher than our other 20 mile races due to the inclusion of a mandatory GPS Tracker which must be worn by all runners for Health and Safety reasons of running in the dark for an extended period.

Permit: Our permits are granted through the ARC. Permit number pending.