Winter on the Downs 55 Miles
Winter on the Downs 55 Miles is a 55-mile single-loop ultramarathon held in Lewes, United Kingdom, in December. Start and finish are both at Plumpton Racecourse, and the route crosses the South Downs through East and West Sussex.
Almost all of the course is off-road. Only about one per cent is tarmac, and the rest is made up of grass trails, farm tracks and woodland and chalk paths. Over the full distance runners climb and descend a total of about 7,000 feet. The terrain is mostly rolling and runnable, broken up by a handful of longer, steeper ascents.
The route is fully marked and shows off the landscape of the South Downs National Park. Chalk drains well, so the paths stay fairly runnable even through the changeable conditions of a British winter.
Who it's for
Approachable: a good pick if you're newer to running.
Good fit if you…
- are newer to running or want an approachable event
Maybe not if you…
- want a hard, elite-level test: this one is approachable
- want a big marquee event: this is a smaller, local-scale race
What should you know about Winter on the Downs 55 Miles?
- Date
- Saturday, 5 December 2026
- Format
- Ultra
How do you register for Winter on the Downs 55 Miles?
Where does Winter on the Downs 55 Miles take place?
Lewes, United Kingdom
Train near this race
Places to train within 15 km of the start, picked for running.
Featured races
You might also like
Similar running races.