Centurion Ultramarathon Blog

Runners will arrive at Washington via the alternative SDW route as explained in the course page, bringing them to the Village Hall which will be the major aid station/ half way point in the race. On exiting the Village Hall runners will run uphill on School Lane and be brought to a T Junction with a road called 'The Street' where you will turn left. 300 yards later you will come to a T Junction and turning right there brings you immediately to a sign post on the road side detailing 'SDW Alternative Route' and showing you a path through a field. Making your way over the stile and up a steep path through some woodland, you are brought out a short while later on to a chalk track, at which point you are back on the SDW proper. This route emerges just above Washington Car Park. The climb here is short but severe and running it wil leave you winded. After a few switch backs you are brought out onto a path leading up around Chantonbury Ring, a lovely smooth and open meadow at the top of the downs. Runners who have run the Three Forts Marathon will recognise this as a reverse of the route over that stretch. Continuing on through the other side of the meadow, another descent follows as you look down onto Steyning to the left and Steyning Bowl to the right - the scene for the Steyning Stinger Marathon held each March. 

Runners follow the path alongside the road here and having passed Steyning Bowl, make a left down the hill into the village of Botolphs. The track comes out on to a road at which point you turn right, heading down the hill. Through the village, the SDW becomes tarmac for a short stretch before cutting off left as you reach the end of the houses, heading up to a footbridge over the river Adur. Once across the bridge, you will be brought out to a public water tap adjacent to a layby off of the busy Shoreham Road. This is the site of Botophs Aid Station. Washington Aid Station to Botolphs Aid Station is 7.15 miles.

Leaving the layby runners must take EXTREME CARE in crossing the busy Shoreham Road. Directly opposite the end of the path on the left hand side of the carriageway, the South Downs Way continue uphill on the other side. The track is rutted and rocky here and a gradual climb here quicly becomes a steep ascent. Through a field at the top and you find yourself on the tarmac again on route to Tottington Barn and a Youth Hostel where there is another public tap. At the top continue straight ahead on the wide path, passing by Truleigh Hill and the Radio Station. The track then drops steeply downhill again the terrain is rocky here, and comes to a gate at the bottom. Turning right through the gate you make your way uphill and around the edge of a field to another gate at the far end. Turning right through that gate sends you up a steep short climb to Devils Dyke, some of the most fantastic views the downs afford. 

Devils Dyke is 4.25 miles from Botolphs and there are public buses from there down to Brighton.

A common mistake at this point is to head through to Devils Dyke Car Park and visitor centre. The correct path stays well to the right of the buildings and heads up alongside the road. You cross over a small road once past the buildings and immediately downhill through some woodland and then more steeply down a more open track. You come out at the bottom into a gravel car park where the SDW crosses another busy road. Take EXTREME CARE here and make your way into the Farm opposite - the site of the Saddlescombe Farm aid station. If you follow the SDW exactly at this point you will miss the aid station, it is in fact nestled to the right against the barns and farm buildings but will be signed on race day. If you hit a gate the other side of Saddlescombe Farm and begin to climb, you have gone too far. Saddlescombe Farm Aid Station is 5.45 miles from Botolphs. 

On leaving the aid station, you proceed back up through said gate and climb up West Hill, another steep ascent. It does not last long however before you are descending with the busy A23 ahead - the road from London to Brighton and vice versa. There is a footbridge over the road, and you come out the other side up a short road (blocked as a dead end) into Poynings Village. Through the village brings you down to the Pyecombe Road where there is another public tap. At this point you run up with the road on your right but must then cross taking EXTREME CARE the busy road here, heading up the hill past the Golf Club. Between the various gof holes either side, the path is chalky and rocky and climbs slowly to bring you out at the top onto a left hand turn. Continuing slightly downhill, you are brough to a finger post indicating Jack and Jill (Clayton Windmills) left and SDW right. You must at this point and as per the course instructions, take the left turn down into the Windmills Car Park to the aid station. The distance from Saddlescombe to the Windmills aid station is just 3 miles - the shortest distance between two aid stations. 

Link to Garmin Read out here.

This first section of the South Downs Way sets the tone for much of the course. The trail constantly rolls up and down with some long steep climbs and some shorter, steeper descents. The views at regular intervals are simply breathtaking (see photos further down the page). 

Our race start is at Chilcomb Sports Ground. The true SDW starts in the centre of Winchester but due to logistics, our startline is where the SDW becomes trail for the first time. If you start in Winchester, once you are over the footbridge over the M3, you come out into a field and about 500 yards up on the left is the sports ground. Our start will be in front of the pavilion there giving runners a 200 yard dash before cutting out of the field and on to the SDW proper.

The trail drops down into Chilcomb village before the first climb up out Deacon/ Telegraph Hill which begins just a half a mile into the race. The trail then drops down all the way to Holden Farm which is the site of the final handover in the South Downs Way Relay held early every June. Over the next 4 miles the trail climbs gradually up to the car park at Beaconhill Beeches, the site of Aid Station 1 at mile 9.25.

Runners are treated to a glorious view at the trig point at the summit before a quad thrashing descent down in to the village of Exton. Exton village is picturesque and quiet as the SDW meanders along on tarmac for a short distance. Emerging at the A32 runners must take EXTREME care in crossing the road by the small gravel car park. Over th road, the trail turns marginally technical for a small time with lots of roots literring the trail. 

Out of Exton the trail climbs 400 feet in 2 miles up Old Winchester Hill. Dropping down the valley through Whitewool Farm, there is another steady ascent up the other side to Salt Hill and Hyden Hill. At Mile 17.7 runners come to the Sustainability Centre which has a cafe and access to water. From that point, the trail stays up on the ridge until Butser Hill at mile 20.2. Cresting Butser Hill the views are stunning down onto Queen Elizabeth Country Park the location of aid station 2 at mile 21.5. Having crossed the A3, passing by the site of the 2:09 events South Downs Marathon Finishing area, runners come into QECP on a trail winding alongside the Visitor Centre. Aid Station 2 is in the meadow immediately behind the visitor centre.

Garmin Read out for this first 21.5 mile section

This section of the Thames Path 100 course analysis begins at the church on Marlow High Street: Mile 42.4 and continues as far as the bridge from Pangbourne over to Whitchurch on Thames: Mile 66.9. 

This stretch was covered on Friday 20th Jan under good conditions, the second half under headlamp. 

Upon reaching Marlow runners must take care crossing over thw North Side of Marlow Bridge. The route immediately becomes grass and trail track which in wet conditions will be wet and sticky underfoot. At Mile 44, the towpath crosses to the southern bank of the river and makes it's way through Mill Field Farm. There are cattle grazing openly in this field. After about .3 of a mile there is a right hand footpath marker, directing runners over a wooden bridge and onto a small island. The Marlow aid station will be positioned at this footpath post to make doubly sure runners take the correct route over the bridge at that point. Crews are welcome to park in the fields there right by the aid station. 

After crossing on to the island, runners head through Hurley Lock and make their way back to the southern side of the river bank shortly after. The path conditions remain similarly a combination of grass and mud as the towpath hugs the riverbank until the village of Aston less than 3 miles later. The more obvious path may lead runners to a dead end/ black metal fence, when the correct path deviates away from the river at this point, climbing very gradually uphill to reach a road. The road runs past some farm buildings on the right, then Culham Court on the left before heading steeply downhill. The path takes a right turn at the junction and heads further downhill through the village, passing the Flowerpot pub on the left hand side and leading runners straight on to reach the river bank once again. This section represents a very minor climb and descent, nevertheless, one of the few on the entire route. 

From Aston, once again, the path continues off road on a mix of grassland and field edged flood plain, all the way to Henley. The outskirts of Henley represent the half way mark of the race and once reaching Henley Bridge, runners will cross over to the other bank of the river before running down the paved path with Mill Meadows on the right. Mill Meadows contains the bandstand, a cafe, a number of play areas and further on, the aid station at mile 51. It is at this point that runners will be able to be joined by pacers and have access to drop bags. 

Continuing on from the aid station, runners immediately cross one of the more spectacular sections of running as they head out on to a long wooden walkway which forms Marsh Lock - suprisingly positioned in midstream. Runners bank around back to the the same riverside they have just left. Continuing on, the path emerges onto the road leading in to the village of Shiplake. The correct footpath is tucked behind the houses, however the road runs parrallel to it and leads runners out at the same point - Shiplake Level Crossing. ALL RUNNERS SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE LEVEL CROSSING AND CHECK FOR PASSING TRAINS BEFORE PROCEEDING. Shiplake level crossing marks mile 53.4.

The towpath heads straight on across the railway line and takes the next left at the junction, heading down the road for around 400 metres before turning left off road again at Andrew Duncan House. The path is not particularly well marked here so runners should pay attention on this stretch. 

The turning represents a return to off road running again, right on the river bank continuing on to Sonning. At Sonning runners will be brought out on to the bridge, which is single lane and busy. Runners will need to cross the road at this point and pay due care and attention to the traffic in the area. The path from Sonning does not deviate away from the river bank and there is some fast ground here as the path becomes crushed gravel and then tarmac headed through Thames Valley Park. Runners will see the lights of Reading ahead at this point and in the dark, the numerous Oracle (company) buildings on the left hand side. Further down this path the Waterside Centre will appear and directly before it, the aid station. This represents mile 58.7 on the course. A small car park adjacent to the centre is where your crews will park. 

The next section of pathway is easy to make an error on as the river Kennet meets the Thames at this point and takes a more southerly branch in to Reading town centre. A few hundred metres after the aid station, runners must make sure that they cross the old Horseshoe Bridge ather than take the more obvious pathway along the southern bank of the Kennet into Reading Town Centre. 

The path winds across the top of Kings Meadow and on to quiter terrain again on the banks of the river and on trail. At precisely 62 miles in to the race, runners will reach a boatyard at the junction of Scours Lane and the river. The path becomes cut off by the railway line at this point and runners follow a straight and flat path between the railway line and the river with no other turning options, past Tilehurst station platforms and eventually to the railway crossing on the left. This bridge is mile 63.4. Runners reaching this point in under 10 hours and 30 minutes will have the option of recording their time at this point as a qualification time for Spartathlon, approved by the race directors in Greece. 

Crossing the railway, runners turn right on the road and must pay careful attention as the towpath deviates well away from the river and through Purley Park, an upmarket housing estate with lots of side roads and dead ends. There are some small rolling climbs and descents in this section as well as currently, a good deal of roadworks which, whilst blocking the road, are passable to pedestrians. It is a straight shot down to the river using Mapledurham Drive, a single lane road, across 2 cattle grids and eventually back on to the grass field paths along the banks of the Thames. This section at first appears incredibly remote, but quickly the lights of Pangbourne come clear ahead as well as the houses of Whitchurch On Thames on the right hand side/ North bank of the River. By turning right at the bridge/ Pangbourne Adventure Dolphin, runners will head up into Whitchurch before taking the left hand turn in to Manor Road. The aid station at mile 67.4 is just off of the Thames Path at this point and will be well signed. 

Overall this section is interesting with some careful attention required at various key points. It is at times remote and at times almost urban in feel as it passes through Marlow, Henley and more significantly Reading. There is roughly a 70/30 split of trail to pavement in this section, but with much of the ground fast going and runnable. Marlow, Henley, Shiplake, Reading, Tilehurst and Pangbourne stations are all within a short distance of the towpath through this 25 mile section. 

The section from Clifton Hampden to the finish line is more remote than a lot of the preceeding trail, but for the most part extremely easy to follow as the Thames Path hugs the river closely for this final 15 mile stretch. For tired runners, respite comes frequently during this final run in with three aid stations and the finish all within the final 15 miles. There is almost no climb at all during this section with a total of just 86 feet in 14.6 miles. 

Once runners emerge onto Clifton Bridge, they will need to take great care crossing over to the other side of the road. Traffic is tightly controlled over the single lane bridge with lights in both directions. Turning left immediately after the bridge, runners come on to the Thames Path this time on the north bank of the river and stay close to it up to Clifton Lock at mile 86. 

Clifton Lock is a pretty spot, the path continues on in much the same vein of terrain as coming in to it, largely grass double track which can become very muddy in wet conditions. 

After 88.7 miles you will hit Culham and cross a busy road which will require due care and attention. Once at Culham you have 2.3 miles to the aid station at Abingdon. Again the terrain is very similar through this stretch with grass double track. On coming in to Abingdon, runners will be signed across the infield of the cricket pitches to the aid station at Abingdon Cricket Club: Mile 91.1. This is a very minor deviation away from the Thames Path that will be well signed. If you miss the turn, there will be an additional sign on the bridge around 200 metres later. This will cost you around 300 metres of running. 

A Garmin read out of this final stretch can be found here

The Aid Station there will be set up indoors with hot food and drinks available. Runners will exit the clubhouse to the right, making their way through a 2 metre gap at the edge of the fencing and back on to the Thames Path at Abingdon Bridge. This is the second last road crossing on the route with the exception of the road at Folly Bridge in Oxford and the last without traffic lights. Please take due care and attention on this stretch.

The run from Abingdon to Lower Radley Aid Station begins on the north/ east bank of the river and crosses over a weir on to the south/ west bank within 600m. There is a difficult turn here as runners must take the furthest right hand path which is less obvious than the other footpath. The terrain following the weir crossing, if wet, is extremely muddy and slippery.  The track to Lower Radley Boat House is just under 4 miles and visible from some way out as the buildings are few and far between on this stretch. The aid station is under the boathouse right on the path and is unmissable. This is the final stop in the journey to the finish and comes at mile 94.9. 

From there the path is again on grass/ mud for around a mile, leading runners to Sandford Lock at mile 96 and on to concrete path around a mile later for the final run in. Runners will reach the outskirts of Oxford here and will see the Head of the River lit up ahead. This is on Folly Bridge and is the last road crossing of the course. Folly Bridge is mile 99.7. Runners will need to use the pedestrian crossing here and will continue on the west/ south bank of the river until mile 99.9 when they will make a right turn on the pedestrian footbridge. Once over the footbridge, runners continue on the down ramp and will go straight on over the small bridge as the path banks around in to Oxpens field. Runners will see the grey sides of Oxford Ice Rink ahead and the finish line to the right of it. This final section will be well marked so that runners do not make a wrong turn. The finish is at exactly 100 miles.