The 12th Edition of the South Downs Way 50 kicks off Saturday 13th April 2024 at 0830 - with 450 runners making this the biggest field ever at this event. Runners have as usual, 13 hours to make it from Worthing to the track finish at Eastbourne Sports Park - 50 miles across the hills and valleys of the beautiful South Downs National Park. 

Here is a quick look at some of the likely leading contenders for overall positions in both the womens and mens events. Follow the race live via the link here on race morning.

WOMEN

Helen Moss: Was 14th here all the way back in 2016. Since then she has recorded some solid results including lowering her marathon time to 2:59 in 2023. In ultra distance events she's recorded a win at the Downslink Ultra and the Chiltern Challenge 50km, a second at Ultra-X Sri Lanka and fourth at Hurtwood 50km.

Rachel Lindley: Third at the Hundred Hills 50km a few weeks ago with a really strong second half to her race. Sixth at this event in 2022 in 8:10, a year when she finished in the top ten at all of our 50 milers as well as the Arc 50.

Rachel Lindley

Ally Whitlock: Podium finisher at the Winter Downs 200 in December, Wendover Woods 100 2023 and Autumn 100 2022. Best of fourth at the SDW100 and several finishes at this race in the past including a best of fourth place in 2021.

Ally Whitlock

Michelle Attridge: Third at the inaugural Hundred Hills 50km last year. Winner of the North Chilterns 50km in 2023 and second at Round the Rock - 48 miles around Jersey.

Amelia Culshaw: Winner of the Pilgrims Challenge and 7th at the Marathon Des Sables in 2022.

Beth Rainbow: Winner of Round the Rock in 2022, sixth at the MDS in the same year, once place ahead of Amelia! Previously sixth at Wendover Woods 50.

In the Hunt for Top Ten: Kasia Atmaca, Rebecca Lane.

MEN

Dan Lawson: Our team runner finally makes a his debut on home turf here. It's a race that has been calling him for a long time and now he gets to step up! Dan's back catalogue is simply too long to go into here, highlights include but are not limited to at least half a dozen Team GB 24hr vests where he has performed brilliantly and more consistently than any other including a European Champs gold in 2016. GUCR record holder. World V50 100 mile record holder with a 12:37 at our track 100 in 2023. Winner of Ultrabalaton, Ultra Trail Gobi, 3rd at Badwater, 2nd at Spartathlon the list just goes on and on. 

Dan Lawson at the Track 100

Kim Collison: One of the premier British Mountain Runners in recent times steps onto flatter terrain and races with us for the first time. He does it all from short fell races to the super long. His main focus of recent years has been on the Rounds where he's set many records, some of which have been eclipsed and some of which still stand. Lakes 24hr, Munro 24hr, Paddy Buckley, Winter Bob Graham - all his with one of those still standing. Race wise Kim won the Northern Traverse in 2022, Arc of Attrition 100 in 2019. But he's represented GB on the trails too and 80km was/ is right in his wheelhouse as well. Will be great to see what he can do here.

Harry Geddes: 2022 Autumn 100 winner in 14:52. Previously fourth at both the TP100 and A100 in super fast times. This year started with a third at Country to Capital in 5:22.

Harry Geddes

Alastair Courtney: Third at Hundred Hills 50km a few weeks ago against solid competition, he could go very well here.

Guy Hudson: Third here in 2022 in 6:52, last year he ran over 50 miles in 6 hours on the track at Crawley.

In the Hunt for Top Ten: Andrew Born.

The 2024 season opener is upon us. The second edition of our Hundred Hills 50km kicks off this Saturday 16th March from 0900. As usual you can follow the race live via the website here - both the timing and tracking pages will be updated in due course. 

We welcome a record field of 500 to Stonor Park for this years' event, which many are hoping will be a little bit drier both overhead and underfoot vs the 2023 event where let's just say things got a bit slippery. 

On to the likely contenders for the top spots in both the womens and mens fields.

WOMEN

Sophie Biggs: Winner of our Chiltern Wonderland 50 in 2022 a year in which she also finished on the podium at the North Downs Way 50. In 2023 she raced ten ultras, eight of them in the UK and finished in the top five in all of them, only slipping outside of that at this event last March where she was sixth.

Sophie Biggs

Rachel Lindley: Fourth at our Wendover Woods Night 50km in 2023, in 2022 Rachel ran our 50 mile Slam and finished in the top six in all four events, including a podium at Chiltern Wonderland 50.

Rachel Lindley

Anna Klucnika: Twice ran under 3 hours for the Marathon last year, at both Chester and Manchester, as well as recording an 81 minute half at Cambridge, making her likely the fastest road runner in the field. It looks like she has just one 50km to her name up at Yorkshire Wolds, a race which she won and in fact beat all of the mens field too.

Victoria Henderson: Fifth at the Winter Downs 200 in December, Victoria goes to the other end of our distance range here! She has previously won the Testway Ultra, finished fifth at Wendover Woods Night 50km and eighth at the Autumn 100. 

In the hunt for top ten: Rebecca Ash, Catherine Hicks.

MEN

Centurion Head Coach and Team Runner Robbie Britton is back at a Centurion event for the first time since his win at the South Downs Way 100 in 2013. Prior to that he won our first ever event, the North Downs Way 100 in 2011 and finished second to Craig Holgate at the inaugural TP100, which earned him an England vest from which he has gone on to much international glory. Robbie is probably best known for being the British Mens 24hr Record holder - 277km which he ran in Turin early last year, but his range is what really sets him apart. He has won races all the way from 5km up to 24 hours and has the ability to race well on any surface. With plenty of trail and mountain in his regular racing and training as well as road and track. His 2:57 50km in 2022 makes him the fastest over this distance in the field. 2024 is off to a good start, with a win at the Anderson Trail 46km over a field of 250 at the end of February in Italy, which he now calls home.

Robbie Britton

Mark Darbyshire is another member of the Centurion Ultra Team and is without doubt at the very top of both his game, and the sport in the UK. His most recent outing saw him set another course record at the Arc of Attrition, winning the race by well over an hour in 18:51. He holds the course record at Lakeland 100, the North Downs Way 100 and the 13 Valleys Ultra. But he also dominates at shorter ultras too. Course record holder at Lakes Traverse and the Arc 50 he has won plenty of trail ultras in the marathon to 40 mile range in recent years too. 

Mark Darbyshire on route to another Arc of Attrition win (Photo: David Miller Photography)

Jacob James: Living just a few miles from Centurion HQ in Hertforshire, local speedster Jacob James has picked up plenty of wins, podiums and top tens at events ranging from 5km to 50 miles over the last few years. He has started 2024 well, with a third at the North Downs Ridge 50km. In 2023 he repeated that result, was third at Hurtwood 50km and second at the Maverick Chilterns X ultra on similar ground to this event. Second at the 2022 Chiltern Wonderland 50 has been his best Centurion result.

Kallum Pritchard: A man with real pace over shorter ultras. Winner of Country to Capital this year in 5:01, he also ran a sub 3 hour marathon around Wendover Woods in November 2023 to record a win there. Previous Robin Hood 100 mile champion.

Mark Potts: Possibly too short for Mark by around 200 miles. Mark has had a 6th, 5th and 8th in the last three editions of the Spine Race which is incredibly consistency especially there. He has also had Top 5 finishes at Lakes Traverse, Northern Traverse, Summer Spine, Hardwolds 80 and won the Spine Challenger.

In the hunt for top ten: Centurion Coach Jamie Pugh, David Hanna, Adam Lucas-Lucas, James Whetman, Joachim Hassel, Jason Leaf, Ben Hall, Thomas Wright.