Mr 1470.....
This is very much a "runners" race, rather than a fell runners race.
Although if the weather is particularly nasty you could go astray and find some nice rough stuff!
The going is generally very good, the whole route is runnable (plenty of fast going) and mostly on paths & tracks, with bits of paving too....
I'm sure you will have seen a route map, if not there is one to be found at
http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~temples/hc/
See you there