29 May 25 by James Elson
South Downs Way 100 2025 Womens Race Preview
The 2025 South Downs Way 100 is upon us and we are delighted to welcome what is one of if not the largest 100 mile field in a UK event together with the deepest competition. As part of the World Trail Majors Series, the event has attracted some of the best in domestic as well as international competition and will make for some great spectating for all.
In the build up to South Downs Way 100 & 50km Race Weekend we will be previewing the leading contenders for the top spots in four separate posts. Our first focuses on the Elite Womens field for the SDW100. The full entrants list can be found here.
Stay tuned to the website and our YouTube channel in the lead up for race day for links to the live broadcast, tracking and results:
Claire Bannwarth (ITRA Rank: 719): One of the most prolific racers over the last several years in terms of sheer quantity. But is seemingly able to recover fast to record incredible results time after time and most often in the realm of the super long. It is honestly simply impossible to list her achievements even going back 24 months but some of her main highlights of recent years have been a third at Tor Des Geants, two wins at the Spine Race, a win at TransGranCanaria 360, a win at Tahoe 200 just a week after finishing fifth at Hardrock and a Backyard PB of 82 hours or over 400km. These barely scratch the surface of this incredibly French athlete.
Julia Davis (ITRA Rank: 672): Julia is one of our Centurion Coaches and we are incredibly blessed to have her on the team. As an athlete she is a Team GB 100km and Trail Team runner from as recently as December 2024 where she finished fourteenth at the 100km World Championships in India. The South Downs are not her regular training ground but she will have fond memories of the trail, having run and set the existing course record of 6:54 at the South Downs Way 50 back in 2019. She has had many other top results on the trail over the last six years at all distances. With a marathon PB of 2:39, a time she ran in both 2016 and 2017, her speed on what is truly a runners course will stand her in great stead.
Julia Davis winning the 2019 South Downs Way 50
Lucy Gossage (ITRA Rank: 669): Lucy is one of the UKs greatest ever Triathletes, with 14 wins over the Ironman distance amongst many other successes over other distances. Since she turned her hand to ultras she has unsuprisingly also found massive success, bettering her 2024 Spine Race third place with a win at the iconic event this past January. She has also just set a new course record at the Lap. In 2024 she also took home second at the Lakeland 100, coming home under the magic 24 hour mark.
Lucy Gossage winning this years Spine Race (Credit: Adam Wild Aperture/ The Spine Race)
Nicole Frisby (ITRA Rank: 621): Nicole has had a tremendous spring, coming home second at our Hundred Hills 50km, before running a 2:56 at the London Marathon. Prior to 2025, some of her best results include a seventh at Lakeland 50, eighth at UTS50km and a win at the 2024 Serpent Trail 50km.
Nicole Frisby
Georgia Campbell (ITRA Rank: 615): Georgia's background is much more in the realm of shorter, faster racing but since she's turned to ultras she has gone from strength to strength. Two solid finishes at the Highland Fling helped her develop and take home third at the Lakes Traverse in awful conditions last year. That followed a win at the Harrogate Hustle Ultra a couple of months prior.
Karla Borland (ITRA Rank: 604): Karla ran home the winner in a competitive field at the Hundred Hills 50km earlier this year. The sub 3 hour marathoner is also at home over longer distances on the road - she landed on the podium at the 2023 ACP 100km running for Northern Ireland. This will be her first 100 miler.
Karla Borland winner of this years' Hundred Hills 50km
Anastasia Hounslow (ITRA Rank: 600): The Liss runner has four ultras under her belt with four top tens to show for it. Two of those were wins at the Serpent Trail 100km which covers similar ground to this course.
Anna Brown (ITRA Rank: 551): Thames Path 100 champion last year, Anna previously had a number of top results at this distance. In 2022 she had to miss out on the Thames Path as part of our Grand Slam quest but went on to finish this event in eleventh place, before running home second at the NDW100 and fourth at the Autumn 100. This year she is already off to a flier taking home the win at the inaugurual London 100km by Camino last month.
Jennie Dunkley (ITRA Rank: 529): Jennie takes this event on as race two in her Grand Slam of 100s quest for this year. She is off to quite the start, with a win at the Thames Path last month. She is no stranger to the distance or this trail. She ran the race back in 2022 finishing fourteenth, but has since kicked on, running home fifth at the 2023 Autumn 100 before her move up to the top step of the podium at the TP100. On the road her best marathon is a 3:06 at London.
Jennie Dunkley winner of the 2025 Thames Path 100
12 May 25 by James Elson
North Downs Way 50 2025 Preview
More warm dry weather of late and a week out, a great looking forecast awaits those taking on the fourteenth North Downs Way 50.
The mens course record was lowered by Patrick Wightman to 6:31:48 and after a DNF at SDW50 last month he is back and raring to go after it again.
The womens course record has stood for almost a decade, with Holly Stables' 7:11 mark from 2016 still the one to beat. That may be under threat this time. We have 350 runners joining us in Farnham to run the first 50 miles of the North Downs Way, as far as Knockholt Pound, a little village right on the edge of London which has always hosted our finish. The course roughly breaks down into two halves. A screaming fast mostly flat and runnable section over to Box Hill check point in the Stepping Stones Car Park. Before an ascent up the steps and the tougher second half over to the Finish. Let's have a look at who might be contending for top spots this time around.
You can follow the race live here from 0700 on Saturday 17th May.
WOMEN
Fiona Pascall: Fi was our 2022 Wendover Woods champion but has since frankly exploded onto the international scene winning and competing in some of the marquee events. Whilst this is very much a preparation event towards Western States for which she won a Golden Ticket through winning the Chianti Ultra Trail 120km back in March, she will naturally be the one to watch. Other recent wins for Fi include Mozart 100km, Julian Alps 170km, Wildstrubel 100km as well as more recently that Chianti performance - all UTMB events where she beat world class competition.
Fi Pascall
Jess Gray: A previous winner of this race exactly 10 years ago, Jess has gone on to have a long and successful career in the sport. Stand out results across the years inlude a 16:42 100 mile at the Autumn 100, a win at the South Downs Way 50, two podiums at Lakeland 50 and many others to boot. Her most recent win came at the Grand Tour of Skiddaw in 2023. It is great to see her back here.
Dani Battersby: Third at the South Downs Way 50 in 2022 in 8 hours flat before running home for fourth at the 100 later that year in 18:43.
Claire Kanja: Lots of great performances at our events over the years including second place at the Autumn 100, Wendover Woods 50 and Wendover Woods Night 50km.
In the hunt for top ten: Amelie Karlsson, Kathrin Hartmann, Veronika Gill, Georgia Campbell, Flic Archer, Veronika Gill, Jo Wilson.
MEN
Patrick Wightman: Course record holder going for his fourth finish here. In 2023 he was second to a course record, he then lowered that to 6:31 in 2024.
Hugh Tibbs: Ran a superb SDW100 last summer in the deepest field we've ever had at that event, coming home second in 14:46. He opened up 2025 with a third place at the Arc of Attrition in January.
James Local: New to ultra running, but a blazing fast marathoner with a 2:29 at London in 2024. Won another North Downs trail event with Maverick in 2024 also.
Benjamin Hall: Last year he finished third here behind Patrick and Alistair Courtney who went on to win the other three 50 mile events in 2024. Not a shabby result! He then ran home second at Chiltern Wonderland 50 and third at Winter Downs 100.
Alex Hammond: Won Hurtwood 50km last December before a 5:16 at country to capital so he comes in with good form.
In the hunt for top ten: James Whetman, Harvey Waller, Mark Potts, Jamie Pond, Sam Larcombe.
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We look forward to welcoming everyone on Saturday and a huge thanks in advance to our volunteers without whom none of this would be possible.
