Petzl South Downs Way 100 2013

Entries

Both general entries and the waiting list have now closed for 2013. 

Entrants must meet the minimum qualification standard below in order to apply. Places are only confirmed once your qualification race has been verified. 

Exceptions to the above are: Those who volunteered over 8 hours of service to the race in 2012 and are therefore guaranteed 2013 entry & places open to the event sponsors under special consideration. 

Qualification Standard

In order to enter you must have completed a minimum of on official 30 mile distance race within the cut off time of that event, between 1st January 2010 and the 2013 race date. As organisers, we reserve the right to refuse anybody entry who does not meet this standard.

Cut Offs

Runners must finish the course within a 30 hour time limit. All runners must have left the 54 mile aid station at Washington within 16 hours 10 minutes or by 10:10pm on Saturday 15th June. There are additional cut offs on route (see aid station table).  

Start/ Finish Location

Registration and the race start is at Chilcomb Sports Ground, Winchester. Details of how to get to the ground can be found under Travel and Accom. 

The race finishes at Eastbourne Sports Club Athletics Track. Runners will enter the track through the gate and complete a 2/3 lap of the track to finish. Runners will be permitted to run the track section with friends, family and crew accompanying them.

Route

The 2013 race route remains identical to that of 2012 and follows the South Downs Way footpath for it's duration with one or two minor exceptions that will be clearly marked on race day. The race starts at Chilcomb sports ground, approximately 1.5 miles from the most westerly point of the SDW trail. The route follows the footpath all the way to Eastbourne, only deviating from the standard course at the points listed on the course page. 

A map of the route can be found at the bottom of this page. The exact distance of the route is 100 miles.

Awards

100 mile Finisher Buckle & Race Shirt to all finishers. Runners finishing the course in under 24 hours will receive special '100 miles - One Day' buckles commemorating their achievement. Runners finishing between 24 and 30 hours will recieve '100 mile - Finisher' buckles.

Petzl the title sponsor for the race will award prize money for both the first 3 men and first 3 women to cross the line respectively (total prize purse £1,800):

1st place Overall: £500
2nd place Overall: £250
3rd place Overall: £150

Aid Stations

There will be a minimum of 15 aid stations along the length of the course. All aid stations carry as a minimum: water, coke, chocolate, sweets, sandwiches, nuts, lots of fruit, gels, wraps and other sweet and savory snacks, except for those listed on the aid station table as WATER ONLY. All aid stations from Washington onwards will have hot drinks including tea and coffee. There will be hot food available at Washington, Alfriston and the finish line.

Drop Bags

Drop Bags must be deposited at the race start before 5:30am on race morning and will be accessible at various points along the course. Drop bags must be DISPOSABLE must NOT exceed 30cm x 20cm x 20cm in size ie. the size of a shoe box for any one aid station - EXCEPT for the finish line bag which can be larger. They must be labelled with your name, aid station it is to go to and race number. Runners need to leave a different drop bag for each aid station, each bag will be transported to the aid station listed and then disposed of. Drop Bag Locations: 

MIle 54: Washington

Mile 69: Clayton Windmills

Finish: Eastbourne

Course Markings

The course is marked by South Downs Way marker posts which come in different forms but always displaying the acorn which is the key symbol and guide on this route as with all National Trails. 

In addition to the fixed markers as above, the course will also be marked with red & white tape reflective tape and arrows but at major junctions only. There are a number of road crossings to negotiate, some of them are extremely busy. It is the responsibility of the runner to negotiate all road crossings safely.

It is ultimately the runners responsibility to navigate the course successfully, with or without course markings. We strongly recommend that you take the time to recce the route before race day. A map of the route is part of the mandatory equipment and runners must carry one at all times. The Harveys South Downs Way map is an excellent guide. 

Pacers

100 mile runners are permitted pacers from the 54 mile point. Pacers must travel on foot only. Runners are permitted multiple pacers throughout the last 46 miles but only one may travel with the runner at any one time. The exception to this is the finishing lap of the track where a runner may be joined by as many friends and family as he or she wishes. 

Crew

Runners are allowed and encouraged to have a crew. Crews are permitted to assist runners of all distances at any point but must not do so in front of any aid station ie. crew can meet runners at aid stations but should not impede the progress of other runners moving through the area. Certain aid stations are off limits to crew and are listed on the aid station tab. Instructions for crews are also available here. 

Medical

There will be a dedicated team of race medics available throughout the duration of the weekend including static first aid teams, rapid response cars and a race ambulance. If you suffer an injury or accident that warrants direct medical attention, the medics will be on hand to provide you with exactly that. Contact numbers and full details of what to do in an emergency will be given to you in the pre race information packs and again at race registration. Due to the nature of the course ie. some remote and far from roads, the medics may take some time to reach you, or potentially be out of contact tending to other runners. In those instances you should contact the emergency services on 999. If you are injured but able to walk, please make your way to the nearest aid station where there will either be a medic, or an aid station captain will immediately get in touch with medical care should you require it/ arrange for transport out. If you suffer a severe injury or encounter someone in serious difficulty please call 999 for emergency ambulance services.

Kit

85% of the course is on trail, therefore trail shoes are advised. There are sections of trail which can become very muddy in wet conditions. The South Downs Way are formed of chalk and are composed of significant sections of exposed and slippery chalk bed and rocks. These sections can be technical in both the dry and the wet. The ridge is very exposed and in wind and rain runners can become cold quickly. It is essential to carry the items below in lieu of that. There will be kit checks prior during and after the race. With the exception of lights which must only be carried from Washington onwards, runners must carry the following mandatory equipment at all times. A time penalty of one hour will be imposed for any item found to be missing at any point on course. Please refer to this page for explanations on the inclusion of the below items. 

• Fully Charged Mobile Phone including the numbers for the Race Medic and HQ (on the number you have given at registration)
• Water Bottles/Bladder capable of carrying a minimum of 1 litre. 
• Survival Blanket: 1.4m x 2m minimum
• Waterproof Jacket: Gore-tex or similar
• Route Map (store recommendation)
• Compass
• Whistle
• Required from Washington onwards: Headtorch (store recommendation)
• Required from Washington onwards: Back Up Light source (store recommendation)