After 14 years we are making some changes to the format of the classic South Downs Marathon Day. The routes of marathon and half marathon themselves remain unchanged but we are taking out the marathon relay and introducing a trail 10km in Queen Elizabeth Country Park.
Regrettably the lack of safe parking at two of the relay changeovers make us believe the relay is unsafe as most cars arrive at the changeover points in the same time frame and it has become a hazard and, probably, an accident waiting to happen. To make up for the loss of this popular element of the marathon we have brought in a 10km route entirely within Queen Elizabeth Country Park that will cover the first 2.5 miles of the half marathon route, divert on the Staunton Way and region the return section of both the marathon and half marathon on the South Downs Way at the Buriton Car Park entrance.