This is typical South Downs Way terrain. Rocky, hilly, open, and quiet

I love a good marathon. And I love an easy to navigate marathon. I also love a marathon that starts at an ice cream stop, has one half way, and finishes at an ice cream stop. And this South Downs Way marathon ticks all of those boxes. It also helps that the route is hilly, challenging, and full of stunning views.

QECP to Cocking and back

It’s well marked, but there are a tonne of crossing trails

That’s the route. You start at the Queen Elizabeth County Park (QECP) and then head East on the South Downs Way. You then carry on for a near perfect half marathon, until you get to a place called Cocking. If you time it right, you’ll find a very nice cafe ready to serve drinks and food (and ice cream). If you end up getting the time ‘wrong’ and the cafe is closed, they’re good sports to have an outside tap available to enable you to top up water bottles.

I’ve run this route twice before as part of course marking for the Centurion Running South Downs Way 100 ultra-marathon. I mark from QECP to Cocking, and rather than get a taxi back I simply turn it into a marathon and enjoy the easier return.

Things to note

  1. It’s quite hilly, but mostly a few bigger hills and then very runnable trails
  2. There are two places to top up water en route (see info at the bottom of this post)
  3. Keep your camera handy, as there are plenty of nice vistas
  4. It is exposed, so be prepared for the current weather and for unexpected weather
  5. The terrain is mostly rocky trail, but there’s a good mix of woodland and grass added in too
  6. You can run the route without a GPS, but it’s easier with one as there are a number of crossing trails along the way that could send you the wrong way if you aren’t sure
  7. There’s plenty of parking at QECP, which also has a cafe, toilets, gift shop, play areas, and more (it’s a nice place to visit anyway)

You can view my run and download the course from Garmin: https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/19429728958

Water stops

The first one is a farm out-building. I’ve never used this one, but Centurion use it for their water source. You can find it here: https://what3words.com/harvest.unite.homes

The second one, at the half way point, is at the Cadence Clubhouse cafe. They are open every day from 09:00 til 17:00 (ish). https://cadencecycle.club. If they’re not open, then the tap is on the back of the building right by the trail. You can find it here: https://what3words.com/fine.haggle.grins

    Hope this helps.