There’s a new ultra on the calendar this year and it’s in a stunning location. Taking in 60km from Haslemere to Dorking, the
Surrey Hills Challenge on September 25th follows the picturesque Greensands Way, an absolutely beautiful trail.
Along the way runners will see the Devil’s Punchbowl and encounter Pitch Hill, Holmbury Hill and Leith Hill. You might see a bit of a theme developing there - if the ‘Surrey Hills’ name doesn’t already give it away. There will be plenty of undulation (3600ft in total) to keep runners interested.
The race has a 6am start from the centre of Haslemere, where there are plenty of car parks and a handy train station. Runners will be set off at intervals to avoid any stop-start bunching up in the early narrow miles (I love this idea). There will be aid stations every 10km, offering a variety of snacks and enthusiastic encouragement. There will also be medics along the route.
Do you worry about getting lost on trail races? If so, this is the race for you! Not only is the Greensands Way a marked trail, the route will also be marked up by the organisers. So it’s double-marked, should you have any doubts!
And once you’ve finished your lovely run along the Greensands Way to Dorking you can hop on a train back to Haslemere.
This race ticks lots of boxes: a beautiful trail, a small field, lots of lovely hills, a point-to-point route and easy transport to the start and finish.
And if this all sounds nice but 60km is just too far, there’s also a half marathon, a 10k and a 5k. You can find out more information and enter
here.
