12th December 2025
Background: The Centurion Running “Winter Downs 100” is a semi circular route clockwise from Amberley, heading west along the South Downs Way until just after Beacon Hill where it turns north on the Wayfarers Walk to Alresford, then the St Swithun’s Way to Farnham where it turns east along the North Downs Way and finishes just after Box Hill at Juniper Hall. The overall ascent is 3050 metres,
The race started at 2pm on a Friday afternoon from the museum at Amberley, so that we could experience more of the winter darkness, apparently. In the weeks approaching the race the weather forecast had been increasingly difficult with rain and high winds adding another layer onto the muddy terrain and nighttime navigational challenges. Unlike the other races, the course would be unmarked by the usual plethora of arrows and reflective tape, leaving only the standard footpath posts and signs. You had to have your head in the game all the time to make sure that you didn’t randomly “explore” from the GPX we were given.
I found myself getting increasingly stressed as the start grew nearer. I kept telling myself that this was the “icing on the cake” and there shouldn’t be anything to worry about – after all, I had completed four other 100 mile races in the year and this one had a time limit of 35 hours so it should be a doddle, shouldn’t it? I had completed the “Slam” which were the other races to earn the extra buckle and this was just the victory lap. Some lap!
However, in case you’re new around these parts, I have Parkinson’s disease and there is no denying that this year it has progressed a tad. Amongst other things, it plays havoc with my back and this leads to everything else taking the strain, so there were a few aches that I was putting up with in addition to the usual wear and tear of a long race (and the training that goes with it). As usual, I would be taking my medication every three hours (rather than the usual non-racing four) and not consuming anything resembling protein until the finish.
The Winter Downs 100 has just 3 aid stations compared to the usual dozen or so provided throughout other Centurion 100 mile races. You can have a crew meet you at 11 other points, and Caroline was again providing 5* support in the van (so she could grab some sleep when she needed).
Starting at 2pm felt weird. It also meant juggling my food to make sure that my stomach was fairly empty before the race.
We arrived pretty early to avoid any last minute hiccups and sat in the cafe with Willow (our pointer) making as many friends as possible. One of my friends, Sandra, was waiting at the cafe and we chewed over the coming delights. We had recce’d the run from Amberley through to Queen Elizabeth Country Park three weeks ago but it had been torrential rain for most of it, so we hoped that the dry forecast for the race was accurate.
The cafe was getting busy so I headed out to get some peace. I am finding it harder to cope with crowds but whether that’s Parkinson’s or me getting grumpier as I get older I’m not sure!
I’d also made the decision to wear my Christmas hat during the race. It waggles the tip around (with a bell on the end) and plays a tune while flashing a load of leds. It’s amusing (to me anyway) in small doses but I wasn’t sure about 100 miles…
The rain and winds preceding the race had died away, and as we waited for the start the weather was, well, grey. Ideal temperatures and not a lot of wind. James Elson gave us the final start line briefing of 2025 and then set 88 of us on our way. As we left the museum entrance we crossed over the road and headed towards the farm track that was the South Downs Way as it wiggled towards the bridge over the river Arun.
The path around the river was slippery mud, and the recce proved its usefulness as the more grippy shoes I had changed to coped much better with the conditions. Even so there were still moments when we were skating around like Bambi on ice.
Soon we began ascending the first of the many hills that marked the South Downs. It was a climb from near sea level (4 metres) to nearly 165 metres so not many of us were running at that point. My race plan was to walk the uphills, run the downhills and see how I felt on the flat stuff. Although the race had a time limit of 35 hours I was hoping to complete it somewhere around 28 hours but there were a lot of things that could kick that plan out of the window.
After traversing Graffham Down, the first crew station was at Cocking, where Caroline met me with Willow. The sunset was spectacular as we approached the car park.(20.8km/13 miles 2 hours 26 minutes 45 seconds 47th out of 88)
I grabbed a fresh bottle and fruit pouch and headed off up the long winding hill that was Cocking Down. I did ponder whether it should be more aptly named Cocking Up. Once back on the ridge the track rolled west across the undulating landscape until just after Didling Hill where it turned southwest to avoid Treyford Hill and its “Devil’s Jumps” (tumuli) before heading west past Buriton Farm. Just before the not-quite-so-biblical Mount Sinai the trail turned slightly and headed steeply up Pen Hill. I managed to stay on my feet while running down the chossy gullies towards Beacon Hill and once at the bottom, the track turned south then north west to skirt Beacon Hill. As I headed up Bramshott Bottom the familiar signpost came into the light of the headlamp. I knew that Harting Down lay just ahead and the views of the lights of South Harting to the north in the darkness were fantastic. I trundled past other crews waiting for their runners as I had planned to meet Caroline further on at Queen Elizabeth Country Park. (30.7km/19.1miles 4 hours 8 minutes 27 seconds 48th out of 88)
Skirting along the path below Tower Hill, we passed “The Bosom”. Look, I’m not making these up, honest. After I crossed the road, dodging the traffic heading downhill into South Harting it was the trudge along 40 Acre Lane. Trundling along in the darkness reminded me of the much missed Midnight Marathon which used to run on the same route although that race was in the warmth of July rather than chilly December. Finally I ran through the yellow car park barrier into the back of QE Country Park. In the darkness the familiar trails seemingly took forever to pass by until the lights of the visitor centre car park came into view. (40.2km/25 miles 5 hours 24 minutes 16 seconds 45th out of 88)
Caroline was waiting with some other crews and it was handy to make full use of the campervan’s facilities before topping up the fluids and fruit pouches before ascending Butser Hill. I’d done a couple of laps of it during the previous week and the weather was a total contrast. Only a few days earlier there had been horizontal torrents of rain with gusting wind whereas it was relatively calm for the race. At least I knew my waterproofs could cope if needed!
After slogging up the climb my hips started aching. It wasn’t easy to jog at all, so I half-heartedly jogged along the road where Iaan and Budgie, my training and pacing partner in crime, was waiting to surprise me. After a much needed morale boost I turned west onto the track that headed towards the aid station at the Sustainability Centre.
In addition to the hip ache (now mainly on my left side) I felt a warm spot on my foot so decided to put a plaster on it when I got to the aid station. On arrival it was nice to sink into the comfortable handling of the team. A piping hot cup of tea (with 2 sugars for the race) was duly placed next to me while I wrangled my feet. After confirming that it was only a hot spot and nothing worse I covered it and put my sock and shoe back on, while trying unsuccessfully not to leave too much mud on the floor. It was too tempting to sit and relax with the tea and chat to Nikki Yeo, one of the many friends I’ve made through running, and has had her fair share of challenging issues and has come through leaving me slightly in awe. However one of my ultra phrases is “beware the chair” so forced myself to head back out into the night. (48.3km/30 miles 6 hours 38 minutes 2 seconds 53rd out of 88)
Rather than head due west along the road, the route from the Sustainability Centre heads north before zigzagging its way round the Meon Springs fishery to arrive at Old Winchester hill using as many trails as possible.The hip was causing a bit of pain but I was determined to finish because so many people had sponsored me and I didn’t want to feel that I was obtaining their money under false pretences. I knew that I had already finished 80% of the challenge and could look at myself in the mirror but my inner voice kept nagging me to keep going.
There were a few crews lurking at the road crossing point but again, I’d decided to meet Caroline at the next checkpoint instead so after exchanging greetings, I headed off round the side of the hill. Rather than head directly through the Iron Age hill fort the trail thoughtfully circled the peak before again resuming its westward journey. As I dropped down the side I caught up with Sandra who was struggling a bit with stomach issues. She mentioned that she felt like having some chocolate milk as that might help. Luckily that is my post-race treat so told her that Caroline was at the next crew point and she could have some of mine. Just after that the trail heads downhill so I let my brakes off and used gravity to propel me down towards Exton. On leaving the village and crossing some muddy fields the path headed steeply uphill to Beacon Hill, where Caroline waited with the van. I grabbed my supplies and while sorting myself out, Sandra caught up and we duly plied her with drink. (59.5km/37 miles 14 hours 17 minutes 1 second 51st out of 88) We then set off together, disturbing some cows in one of the barns as we wiggled through Lomar farm (they made quite a racket in the dark). After another kilometer we passed Wind Farm (I’m guessing it’s named after its position on the ridge rather than its produce) we crossed the road where the race would leave the South Downs Way as it turned north onto the Wayfarer’s Walk.
There was a nice runnable downhill so I again let gravity propel me towards Kilmeston. Unfortunately it also meant I left Sandra behind.I thought it would only be temporarily as she is usually faster than me but she decided that her race was done when she got to Bishop’s Sutton.
Over the next few hours I spent short spells of the night with other runners as we shared various parts of the trail. I wasn’t deliberately avoiding anyone but I wasn’t changing my pace to stay with anyone. In spite of my aching hip I was treating any headtorches in front of me as a target. The bonus with an ultra is that you have a lot of time to catch them!
The trail is a bit wiggly with a few stiles and gates as you pass Kilmeston, and after crossing a grassy valley just after the Manor, I skirted the side of Hinton Ampner House before once again heading downhill, but with a bit more caution at the bottom as the route crossed the A272. After safely negotiating the crossing, it was uphill until the trail turned sharply west as we passed the site of the 1644 Battle of Cheriton (not a good day for the Royalists). The fenced-in path headed into the village of Cheriton and crossed over the River Itchen before wiggling through the houses and then heading north from the church past, well, North End until we came to Cheriton Mill before heading east back over the river and through Alresford Golf club on Tichborn Down. The race now turned onto the St Swithun’s Way, crossing under the A31 it was a trudge along the road into Bishop’ Sutton where the second aid station awaited in the village hall. (75.5km/46.9 miles 12 hours 2 minutes 2 seconds 54th out of 88 – those of you paying attention will note that everyone made it to halfway)
While being pandered to by Laure and her fantastic crew I thought I’d give my hips, leg and back some stretches to try and alleviate the hip pain. As I eased into a plank position I realised that my lower back was locked absolutely solid. It’s usually a nightmare (I blame Parkinson’s for the rigidity) but it was really going for it this time. I gradually eased into a tuck and rolled up into a ball – albeit one that the tin man from the Wizard of Oz could make. It did ease the hip a bit but there was still another 80km/50 miles to go, so it was bound to recur.
Oh joy.
After leaving the hall and heading off down the aptly named “Water Lane” past the ford it was a short plod jog along the edge of a field before crossing the A31. As I got to the turn uphill there was another runner waiting by the junction – I think they were having issues with their watch so pointed them in the right direction.
It was now approaching 3am as we crossed more fields and headed into Ropley to cross yet more fields (this time with sheep) with the trail rising up to Old Down Wood on the top of a hill. Every time I’ve been through this wood the trails have been boggy and this time was no exception. Picking my way carefully in the torchlight I avoided sinking too deep, and the poles came in handy to keep me upright. Leaving the woods the path was no better and was really gloopy and slippery, and as I caught up with another runner she echoed my thoughts with her description of the mud. Ann and I plodded along together for a while through the early hours, skirting the woods at Four Marks before picking up the end of the dismantled Meon Valley railway as we passed Jane Austen’s house at Chawton. It was more road bashing from there into Alton where Caroline was waiting with the van. (92.7km/57.60 miles 15 hours 49 minutes 23 seconds 54th out of 82). It had been great to share some of the trails with Ann for a while and we had both agreed that it was nice to have time alone occasionally to help with “headology”. She doesn’t do social media, so she would have missed this post the day after the race from Susie Dent (of Countdown fame):
It was just about 20km/12miles to the next crew point at Farnham. After leaving Caroline in the van, I had to plod along the high street past all the coffee shops (10 minutes until opening time) with lots of cakes in the window, which had to be ignored. Near the train station the track headed off into a housing estate and it was a case of following the stickers for the St Swithun’s Way on various posts and then “best guess” on the bearing across the school sports fields to find a gap in the hedge to head round the school and then straight through the middle of Treloar College.
By now it was the early hours of the morning and the temperature was getting even colder than the middle of the night so the extra layers were piled on and the arms pumped to try and generate some warmth. The dawn was starting to break and what a spectacular sunrise it was with low cloud in the valleys with a golden backdrop.
I was trundling along with Andy who had chosen this race for his first 100 miler which I thought was a bold move – he certainly picked some great weather for December! Looking back at my gpx track I can see the point at Coldrey Farm when we were on autopilot and headed the wrong way for about 50 metres before realising and turning round. I was taking photos at the time (excuses, excuses). About 250 meters later I could only find one glove so had to retrace my steps. Of course, it was at this point where we realised that we were off course where I had dropped it.
The trail really wiggles its way round farms and villages and the sun was painfully low in the sky as we finally approached Farnham. It was great to take the brakes off again and run into the back of the university before meeting Caroline in the Waitrose carpark. (112.2km/69.7 miles 19 hours 34 minutes 43 seconds 51st out of 82).
After using the van facilities (and letting a nice man know that the poles not been left behind outside the van when he knocked) it was a short trot through the back streets of Farnham before heading up to the by now familiar sign signifying the start of the North Downs Way. I was shepherded across the busy road by Jaco who was crewing another runner but would keep popping up for the rest of my race. We share a strava running club and it was nice to put a face to the name. It was now that I discovered an annoying trait of the North Downs Way: it is in the shade in December. Every time there was a possibility of the sun warming my cold body there was a hill, wood, or gully in the way. I’m built for speed rather than comfort and Parkinson’s really does not help with the circulation. So I had to make sure that I ran the downhills while gritting my teeth at the pain in my hip to get warm. Handily there are also some steep climbs to help – some of them complete sand pits which add to the fun.
The hallucinations had also returned. It seems that it is the North Downs Way that gives them to me. All sorts of things were being formed from bushes, trees and plants and some changed from one entity into another until I drew closer and they returned back to their natural state. This didn’t help my sense of direction as at one junction I thought “those diggers look familiar” and realised I had headed off the wrong way, corrected myself, then gone back on myself and was confidently heading back towards Farnham when I grasped what had happened. So I stopped and worked out where I should have turned left rather than right. The paths past the golf club were a lot better than two years ago when they had been knee deep in floods.
After jogging through Puttenham (still in the shade!) there was a nicely timed gap in the traffic to cross the road to get to the track that led to the final aid station. (125km/77.7miles 21 hours 36 minutes 33 seconds 52nd out of 78). The cricket clubhouse has very comfy sofas which are definitely a mixed blessing. I shunned them to stretch out my back on the floor while the crew did an excellent job fussing around me. After doing my best to release stubborn lower spine I bade farewell to the aid station and jogged back out on the trail which went past Hurt Hills (should that be “Hurty Hills?) before crossing under the A3.
The North Downs Way conditions underfoot were a complete contrast to the South Downs. The SDW is very much chalk and flint whereas the NDW has a lot of softer dirt tracks with sandy sections and I was on one of them now on the approach to Guildford. As I dropped down onto the path beside the River Wey, the Centurion photographer was lurking to take pictures of runners as they crossed the bridge so I made the most of it.
After leaving the river and heading up out of the Wey valley, it was back into the shade (again!) of the trees of Chantry Wood, before the climb up St Martha’s Hill. It was here that a family stopped to ask “is there a long walk today?”
Ego slightly crushed.
My hurt feelings were boosted when I reached the top of the hill (133.7km/83.1 miles 23 hours 20 minutes 26 seconds 48th out of 74) and was hit with the fabulous views. It is such a lift at that point. However I couldn’t dawdle as I could feel that the end of the race was approaching and it was time to put a shift on and catch up wherever possible. This came to a shuddering halt as I ran down the hill, and tripped over a tree root. It was so sudden I didn’t have any time to react or roll and just slammed into the ground. As I lay there, totally winded, some walkers asked if I was ok. I just lay there and raised a hand and gave a thumbs up while gasping for air. After a couple of minutes I managed to roll over and get up. Apart from feeling a bit shaken, everything seemed ok (oh how wrong that assessment was, as I discovered after the race) and I gingerly resumed my progress downhill after thanking the strangers who had helped me up.
After St Martha’s Hill the trail swings north before resuming its eastern progress along the North Downs proper (the North Downs ridge, “the Hog’s Back”, between Farnham and Guildford has been occupied by the A31 so the trail is relegated to paths near or below it). Traversing the grassy slopes gave us extensive views to the south and as I approached the crew point at Newlands Corner, two marshalls asked me if I was ok to continue. It wasn’t due to the way I looked but was just a precaution as that was the last easily accessible point to be picked up. Caroline topped up my supplies (with some paracetamol for the hip) and I headed off just ahead of the 24 hour mark. (136.8km/85 miles 23 hours 55 minutes 59 seconds 47th out of 74). On my way to Newlands I had caught up with Zoe who was running the Winter Downs 200. I had passed her two years ago on that race when she had stopped, unable to move any further at St Martha’s (feeling guilty that I was unable to help), and it was fantastic to see that she was going to finish this time round.
The route now went through some lovely forests with a steep drop off to our right hand side. The inner competitive demon inside me was now making itself felt and any runner in front was a target and any hint of a runner coming up behind spurred me to move faster. It was difficult at times with a few trees across the paths as we headed to the last crew stop at Denbies Hillside.
As I emerged from the forest into the field to meet Caroline for the last time before the finish, I was offered mulled wine by Jaco. I’d overtaken his runner at Newlands Corner and he’d been shouting support for me all day. He was accompanied by Bozena, who in addition to completing the same 100 mile slam that I had, she had also finished the 50 mile slam too – an amazing achievement! The wine and painkillers certainly hit the spot for the final push. The sun was setting so it was time to put on the headtorch and catch the lights I could see ahead of me. (148.2km/92.1 miles 26 hours 7 minutes 36 seconds 47th out of 73)
Less haste, more speed! I went wrong at the same point in the vineyard as I had two years ago – but this time realised after 50 metres rather than 500. As I jogged down the hill towards the A24 I heard footsteps approaching behind me. As I glanced back I saw a headtorch and thought no – not catching me and took the brakes off until the path emerged beside the road. Unfortunately it’s about a kilometre out and back to the subway under the dual carriageway to pick up the trail on the opposite side of the road. However it did give me an opportunity to see several runners ahead of me.
After getting back onto the trail we crossed the River Mole by the footbridge and started the ascent of Box Hill. It was a relentless climb as I knew some runners were just ahead and didn’t want to get left. 274(ish) steps later we curved round the viewpoint and left the North Downs Way to head north to the finish. As I caught up with another runner and we were looking for the right path through the woods she mentioned that we should look for a sign with a squirrel on it (it was actually a dormouse) which we confirmed we were on the right track (thanks Darla – if you know, you know). I increased my pace and soon the Tower appeared out of the darkness – the last landmark before the finish. Poles out, tapping quickly downhill as the steep slope was a major trip hazard for tired legs, let alone a pair fighting against the “parkie shuffle”. As the slope eased I lengthened my stride into as fast a sprint as I could manage. As I overtook someone they asked where the turn to Juniper Hall was, “just ahead, follow me” I shouted over my shoulder (I really hoped I was going the right way!)
Indeed, just ahead, the path opened into the hall drive (which was a relief!), and on rounding the corner lights of Juniper Hall illuminated the finish where Caroline was waiting. (158.3km/98.4 miles 27 hours 24 minutes 53 seconds 42nd out of 73). 500 miles completed. Five and done!
Sitting in the hall with a cup of tea, I started feeling a bit light headed, so I was lying down with my feet on the chair when James walked past and shook my hand – which was a bit surreal. Eventually things calmed down and I shuffled into the dining room (after a shower) and wolfed down the excellent breakfast (2 years ago after the 200 my body shut down after the first mouthful and so I made amends!)
This is the leaderboard from the river to the finish. Still can’t believe it. (Admittedly it’s only those on Strava, but I’ll take it!)
It’s now been a month since the finish and for some reason this blog has been hard to write. I’ve continued the sleepless streak that I started over a week before the race (seeing 2am every night for the best part of a month does sap the enthusiasm for life somewhat) and the self-inflicted race injuries haven’t helped (I really bruised my ribs which still hurt lying down). But I’m wondering if some of this is a reluctance to “sign off” on a pretty amazing year, which exceeded even my highest expectations.
The stats for the five races are:
Distance: 510.83 miles (817.33 km)
Time: 130 hours 19 minutes 39 seconds
Ascent: 12427m
Calories: 53005cals
Steps 1,002,067
The fundraising has reached a massive £2419.95 (plus gift aid of £562.50) which is pretty amazing.
As for my plans for 2026? I’m taking it easy and concentrating on exercise that will slow the progression of Parkinson’s, and undergoing tests to see if I’m suitable for Deep Brain Stimulation. If those go well then who knows what the future holds!