South Downs Trail - Marathon
- Total distance: 42.2 km
- Location: East Hampshire
- Race Date: 2 Oct 2027
- Format: 1 day
- Navigation: Fully Waymarked
- Nearest Station: Petersfield (5.9 km)
- Pacing Complexity: Moderate (46/100)
South Downs Trail - Marathon
- Distance
- 42.2 km
- Total ascent
- 1,026 m
- Cut-off
- 8h 30m
- Town/Village
- East Hampshire
- Date
- 2 October 2027
Overview
No overview text has been written for this race yet.
Quick Facts
- Entrance Cost: Unknown
- Organiser: Maverick
- Start Town: East Hampshire
- Dogs Allowed: Unknown
- Start Date: 2 Oct 2027
- End Date: 2 Oct 2027
- Start Time: 8:30 AM
- Final Cut-off: 8h 30m
Navigation
- Type: Fully Waymarked
- Closest Train Station: Petersfield
- Distance from Start Line: 5.9 km
Eligibility
- Minimum Age: Unknown
- Gender Eligibility: All genders
- Minimum Entry Criteria: Unknown
Toilets
- Hand Washing Beyond Sanitiser: Unknown
- Period Products Provided: Unknown
- Female Only Toilets: Unknown
Family & Spectators
- Baby Changing at Start: Unknown
- Family Friendly Spectator Areas: Unknown
- Flexible Deferral or Cancellation: Unknown
Safety
- Marshalls at Isolated Areas: Unknown
- Safeguarding and Reporting Policy: Unknown
- Can Hide Location from Public Tracking: Unknown
Terrain & Elevation
The course is mainly gravel (52%), with trail (31%) making up most of the rest. The terrain is highly fragmented, switching roughly every kilometre. This demands constant mental engagement and limits the ability to build a sustained rhythm from surface consistency alone. Uphills are predominantly on gravel (63% of ascending sections). Downhills are spread across a mix of surfaces, with trail most common.
South Downs Trail - Marathon has 21.5 km of gravel / track, this is in the top 30% of all our races.
- Gravel / Track52% · 21.5 km
- Trail / Path31% · 12.7 km
- Paved Road10% · 3.9 km
- Grass4% · 1.8 km
- Rocky2% · 0.8 km
- Off-road / Unknown1% · 0.4 km
Distance
42.0 km
Ascent
1026 m
Descent
1026 m
High Point
245 m
Compared against 27 other races of a similar distance, South Downs Trail - Marathon has more total elevation gain than 37% of them, and more elevation gain per kilometre than 41% of them — roughly typical in hilliness for its distance.
Source: GPX Data
Gradient
5.01%
Average climb gradient
Do you have experience of gentle climbs like South Downs Trail - Marathon's, which average 5.01%?
South Downs Trail - Marathon's climbs average 5.01%. If your training never rehearses sustained climbing at that gradient, race day will be the first time your legs meet it.
4.06%
Average descent gradient
Do you have experience of gentle descents like South Downs Trail - Marathon's, which average 4.06%?
South Downs Trail - Marathon's descents average 4.06%. If your training never rehearses sustained descending at that gradient, the downhills will empty your quads long before the finish.
Source: GPX Data
Climate
Pacing Complexity
South Downs Trail - Marathon scores 46/100 for pacing complexity, rated moderate.
Similar-distance races score a median of 24/100 (5 races compared).
South Downs Trail - Marathon is among the more pacing-complex races at this distance. The challenge is not just the total distance or ascent — it is the repeated need to change effort level. A fixed pace target is unlikely to work here. The dominant source of complexity is terrain type changes, which means preparation should include training runs that deliberately mix different intensities in sequence.
Source: GPX Data
Aid Stations
No aid station data available for this race yet.
Are you ready for South Downs Trail - Marathon?
Compare it to a race you've already run, or connect Strava and see the three biggest gaps between your training and what this course will ask of you.
