How about running a 50 km Sussex Ultra Trail? From Horsham to Hove through the Sussex countryside? Hear me out!
For the love of trail running
One of the simplest adventures you can have in Sussex is to go trail running. Of course, it can also be one of the most complicated, rewarding, and exhausting of adventures, and sometimes, the maddest.
I’ve never been one for road running. For a start, I’m not that keen on being seen because frankly, even if I may feel like a goddess when I run, I’m fairly sure I don’t look like one. And let’s face it, when you get to a certain age, the pounding of pavements does bad things to your back, knees and shins. Oh, but the soft thud of a trainer landing on earth is a great sound. Trail running gives you a chance to go places and see things you might never see from the car. You can go off piste, limited only by your sense of adventure and ability to read a map (or follow your Strava instructions). And you get all the benefits of nature and exercise with the added thrill of each run feeling like its very own mini adventure.
If you can’t go fast, go far
I hope I’ve persuaded you to give trail running a go because Sussex has some truly amazing countryside ready to explore. But what about stepping it up a little and trying a Sussex Ultra? A 50 km Ultra across Sussex?
Before you stop reading, hear me out. I’m not a mega athlete. I’m definitely not fast and I’m not that fit either. Life is busy and I fit exercise in when I can. Which is sometimes not that often. Sound familiar? And I agree, entering an Ultra is daunting. I’ve attempted this Sussex Ultra and only succeeded once. And even that depends on your definition of success.
But the adventure starts well before the start line. And the sense of achievement is massive.
Training
I’m not going to lecture you about training. The fact of the matter is that you need to do some and you need to do some research as to the best way to do that for you. Enough said. For my part, I started in October for a May event. I got knocked out of action for six weeks at the beginning of the year and suffered a few injuries along the way so my training was never as good as it should have been. But is it ever?
That notwithstanding, I went running with anyone who would have me. I made a new friend in Petworth and went running with him. I hooked up with a family member and went running around Pagham Harbour with her. I went out in gales and got lost, I went out in the evening and came home in the dark. And when I wasn’t running, I went walking … it’s all time on your feet.
What that all meant was that long before the start line, I’d had dozens of little adventures, already met new people and was definitely a lot fitter than I would have been otherwise. I call that a success even if I wasn’t really race ready.
Horsham to Hove
The Run to the Sea event is a well organised event. The departure point is Christ’s Hospital, near Horsham and is a stunning venue. From there, the first big section is down the Downs Link which is more or less flat. That takes you via Southwater and Henfield to Upper Beeding at the foot of the Downs and about 22 km into the run.
For my Ultra, the game plan was just to finish within the cut off time (10 hours). As we made our way down the Downs Link, it was raining but it was warm, and we ran / walked the first section, keeping a steady if not fast pace. I tend to go off like Tigger but my running buddy, Heather, kept me in check. Keep something in the tank was her constant and very wise advice. And from the very get go, and despite the selection of minor injuries we had before we’d even started, she never doubted we’d finish (whereas I did).
My Garmin (sports watch) talks to me, so we kept an ear on pace and distance. It was Coronation Day and we heard the church bells peel, admired the River Adur and watched as the South Downs slowly grew nearer. This was the easy part, and we knew it. So far so good.
Check point 2 and beyond
From Upper Beeding, you go up and along the South Downs Way, via Truleigh Hill, Devil’s Dyke, Saddlescombe, Pyecombe and the Jack and Jill windmills.
The first part of this is a tough climb but we had poles. Don’t look up was our motto now as you don’t want to see how much more of a climb there is left to do. It’s a wooded path and I was looking forward to emerging at Beeding Hill because I knew there are stunning views there. But not this day.
Battling the elements
On the day of our race, there was driving, horizontal rain, a heavy mist, virtually no visibility, hail and a bitingly cold wind. And it stayed like this for the whole time we were up on the Downs in our shorts and t-shirts. It was May but it was bitter. It was so cold that we couldn’t stop for more than a few seconds, but we couldn’t run because it was so slippery. Having worried about my knees and shins, it was my hands that were the biggest problem because I lost all circulation in them. And I was genuinely worried that I might have to pull out because I couldn’t get warm.
Just keep chipping away, was Heather’s constant advice, and we did. We were slow and had lost most of the rest of the field so there were large sections when we saw no one and it was about as bleak as it is possible to be. I remember leaning into the rain and wind and looking back to see Heather’s faint outline as she rounded a hilltop shrouded in mist. It was completely surreal.
Leaving Saddlescombe at 32 km, I’d expected to go south to Hove, but you don’t, you go east. For quite a long way. That didn’t feel good. You can see Brighton behind you. But I had energy and I wanted to run. My legs weren’t so keen.
The rain stopped at some point near Pyecombe, but not for long. And we watched as a vast black, low hanging cloud swooped in towards us and swallowed up first Brighton and then the Downs leaving us drenched and colder than ever.
Between Jack and Jill and Ditchling Beacon, the route turns right towards the sea at last and down the Sussex Border Path. All hope of grabbing some scenic shots of the windmills and the Chattri Memorial had disappeared with the visibility and we found ourselves in thick, sloppy mud. But we were nearing the 40 km mark and heading towards Hove and that felt good. I think I started singing.
Check point 4 is at 44 km. Happy days. A lovely lady there put my hands in her armpits to try and revive them as I could neither feel, move or use them at all. From there, we passed Waterhall Mill at Patcham, and then headed down to Hove Park and on to Hove Lawns at the seafront. I had a short burst of energy for the last half km. We were done. 50 km. Slow. But within cut off and more to the point, complete. You can always do more than you think you can, I thought, as I crossed the line.
Was it hideous? Yes, at times it was. But it was equally utterly amazing. A once in a lifetime experience of freak weather, camaraderie and teamwork, wild countryside and complete madness. And who doesn’t want some of that? We did it in 9 hours and 44 minutes. The fastest runner did it in about 3 hours 44. That is epic.
Sussex Ultra Trail Events
If this has piqued your interest, there are the following Sussex Ultra events:
Run to the Sea May
South Downs May
Sussex Seven Sisters July
Bewl Water September
Downs Link October
