South Coast hill runs/races

[samu]

I've had to move south temporarily from Scotland to Sussex. Clearly not quite the same for hill running but not as bad as I first thought! Can anyone recommend some good runs around the N or S Downs and are there any races in the next couple of months. The Seven Sisters to Beachy head looks like a good undulating run. Are there any hidden steep climbs out there?

[Derby Tup]

Have a look at / for:

Jack and Jill 5ml www.haywardsheathharriers.co.uk

Bewl 15 (trail race round Bewl Water, in July or August iirc - fantastic cakes!!)

Lewes Downland 10ml is later in the year c October

Think there's a Butser (sp) Hill race

Three Forts Marathon

btw Harvey's in Lewes brew excellent beer

[plodding bear]

Ij used to live down that way. One of my favourite spots was Kingley Vale, which has some fairly steep climbs about. Massive, ancient yew trees as well, and a nice clear top with a load of bronze age burial mounds too. Hence the name.
You could also try Queen Elizabeth Country Park, near Petersfield. Easily accesible by train, if you haven't any transport. That's just over the A£ (literally) from Butser Hill, so you can have a look at that too.

[wolley tha]

The Beachy Head marathon starts from Eastbourne and finishes over the Seven Sisters to Beachy Head. Some fairly decent climbs there. Is on a Saturday towards the end of October (24th this year I think) but obviously the route's always there. Here's a link to a map
http://mediafiles.thedms.co.uk/publi...rathon/map.pdf
but you will need OS Explorer 123 to make sense of it. Most is on the South Downs Way except for the section from CP2 to CP3.

[Pacifier]

The South Downs make for fabulous hill running.

It is a shame that there is not really a hill running tradition there; you know, the kind of the low fees, minimal hassle race from a pub like we get here in the North.

I would love to put on a short A, B or C Category race. Kingley Vale, as mentioned in the previous post, is very steep and absolutely cries out for a proper fell race to be held there.

[samu]

Sounds like there is plenty exploring to be done. Thanks for the replies.

[Derby Tup]

A nice training run we used to do was from the Bo Beep car park on the South Downs Way down to Alfriston and back. You can add on another section westwards over to the main road (can't remember no, sorry) and again back This has fantastic views and gives a good intro / feel for the area

[Stevie]

Samu you mention North or South Downs, but you also have some hills in between which are great to run on. These are the Greensand hills just south of the North Downs, between Dorking and Guildford, e.g. Leith Hill, Holmbury Hill, Pitch Hill etc. They are mostly wooded but that doesn't really spoil them. There are more greensand hills further southwest around Hindhead, but it's a mess down there at the moment due to A3 tunnel construction. These hills, together with some of the North Downs, make up the Surrey Hills AONB. I travel there regularly for orienteering and the hill races.

You've just missed (25th May) the Surrey Hill Races starting at Dorking and heading south and West - three navigational races between 6 and 18 miles in length. Just north east of Dorking there is Box Hill in the North Downs which is used for the annual Box Hill fell race in January (7 miles/1700ft).

Others have mentioned off-road marathons like Beachy Head (usually clashes with OMM) and Three Forts (May). There's also the Steyning Stinger (Nov) and the South Downs marathon (last weekend!). Also you have the so-called "Picnic", it's a convoluted out and back route mostly on Box Hill, and possibly more hilly than the others. Date is next week but it's full, apparently. I have to say I prefer to travel for proper fell races than these off-road marathons, but I have done Beachy Head a couple of times and Three Forts. I do recommend Beachy Head.

[plodding bear]

Just thought of another spot - the Devil's Puncbowl down the A3. Ideal, it's scenic, steep, and has a car park and a cafe as well!

[Stevie]

Yes, that's where they're tunnelling underneath to get rid of the Hindhead A3 bottleneck. The Devil's punchbowl side is unaffected but there are a number of path closures etc on the other side where the tunnel is going through. But like you say, beautiful spot. There are also good Commons (but not very hilly) to the north e.g. Hankley Common. Running up those steep sandy tracks is good strength training!

There is a good loop out of Milford e.g. from Rodborough Common car park - out by Witley Common and (over new bridge to) Thursley Common then onto Hindhead Common and up to Gibbett Hill. Along to the Devil's Punchbowl cafe and down the ridge north to Hankley Common. Along the Kettlebury Hill ridge to the Lion's Mouth and beyond, taking in any number of short climbs, heading back across a more northern part of Thursley Common to Rodborough Common. You can make it more hilly by dropping off ridges and climbing back.