Winter Downs 200

The Winter Downs 200 is a single-stage 200-mile loop around the south of England, run each December from Juniper Hall in the shadow of Box Hill. It heads east 18 miles on the North Downs Way to Botley Hill, turns south for 45 miles on the Vanguard Way to Alfriston, then runs almost 80 miles west along the South Downs Way to Exton, before going north east on the Wayfarers Walk and the St Swithuns Way for 32 miles to Farnham and closing the loop on 25 miles of the North Downs Way back over Box Hill.

The course is not marked and there are four aid stations, so it is a navigation race with long stretches between checkpoints. Runners have 96 hours, the clock does not stop, and December puts about 16 hours of darkness into each of the four nights. Crew and drop bags are allowed at the three major aid stations, where hot food and sleeping facilities are laid on. Entry is by application to the race management and the field is 100 runners. The second half of the loop is run as a race of its own, the Winter Downs 100.

A 200-mile loop from Juniper Hall near Dorking: 18 miles east on the North Downs Way to Botley Hill, 45 miles south on the Vanguard Way to Alfriston, almost 80 miles west on the South Downs Way to Exton, 32 miles north east on the Wayfarers Walk and the St Swithuns Way to Farnham, then 25 miles back on the North Downs Way over Box Hill. 200 miles with 22,500 feet of climb, 80 percent trail and 20 percent road. The course is unmarked, so runners navigate by the five waymarked trails and the race's own GPX files. There are four checkpoints: three major aid stations with crew access, drop bags, hot food and sleeping space, and a safety point at Puttenham. The clock does not stop, stopping time at each checkpoint is capped, and no pacers are allowed.

Entry is by application: places are first come, first served but subject to acceptance by the race management, which reads a runner's running and multi-sport experience rather than checking a single qualifying time. Centurion's own gauge is that a single-stage trail 100-miler or longer stands a good chance and that anything shorter will not be enough on its own, and it counts winter, mountain and self-supported journeys, adventure racing, orienteering and climbing alongside race finishes. Applications for 2026 opened at 18:00 on 21 December 2025 for 100 places and close on 30 November 2026 or when the race fills. The fee is 600 pounds for UK Athletics members and 602 for unattached runners, paid in full at entry, and a rejected application is refunded in full.