The Maverick South Downs Trail

The Maverick South Downs Trail 2026

The event takes place on Saturday 3 October 2026 at Queen Elizabeth Country Park and uses trails across the Hampshire and Sussex border. All routes start at the park and follow woods, farm trails and ridgeways, including a stretch of the South Downs Way. The Marathon and Ultra routes include a 15 km section on undulating chalky trails. The Ultra route passes through Harting Downs and West Dean Woods.

Distances with elevation and entry price:

• 51 km Ultra, +1294 m, £89
• 42 km Marathon, +1118 m, £79
• 21 km Half Marathon, +479 m, £49
• 9 km Middle, +205 m, £39
• 5 km Short, +144 m, £25

Outposts and facilities are provided on longer routes; Short and Middle routes have no outposts. Half Marathon outposts are at about 5.5 km and 13.5 km. Marathon and Ultra have multiple outposts offering snacks, gels and electrolyte drinks. There are toilets at selected Marathon and Ultra outposts only. The event includes a marked course, timing, online results, event photography, food and drink, bag drop and a metal finishers medal.

Safety and practical notes: cut-off points apply to the Ultra and Marathon routes and are firm. All runners are strongly recommended to carry at least 1 litre of water, a raincoat, a foil blanket and a mobile phone. Waterproof jacket, phone, minimum 1 litre water, 800 calories, bandage, whistle, foil blanket, hat or buff, a reusable cup and GPX for the route are mandatory for Ultra and Marathon. Parking is free in the event car park but the car park is a 15 minute walk from the start/finish. Limited dog spaces are available and must be added to the entry. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.