The Maverick South Downs Trail 2026
Saturday 3 October 2026 | Queen Elizabeth Country Park
We head to the South Downs for another fun-packed Trail Run with five race distances on offer.
Whilst the routes are aimed at all levels of runners, the emphasis is on taking you Mavericks to your first / funnest Ultra.
With all five routes starting at Queen Elizabeth Country Park , you’ll be running straight out into this wooden wonderland. The route picks up the infamous South Downs Way, with runners on the Marathon & Ultra route enjoying a 15km stretch on undulating chalky trails. All four routes pack a punch with some short sharp climbs that get the legs and lungs burning. The Ultra route will take you through Harting Downs and West Dean Woods. Please note, there is no outpost on the Short route.
This is a beautiful route that crisscrosses the Hampshire & Sussex border with woodlands, farm trails and ridgeways to run along. If you haven’t run your first ultra yet... then join us for this one. You won’t regret it.
Bring the families, support crews and cheer squad and relax and enjoy the Maverick event village.
We look forward to seeing you all in October!
DETAILS
Registration: 7:30am
Start times:
50k Ultra & Marathon - 08:30am
Half Marathon & Middle - 10:30am
Short - 10:45am
DIFFICULTY
Rolling Chalky downs, woodlands, and big climbs, perfect for your first Ultra.
About our ratings
Entry Price
Enter any 3 races from any series, or 3 entries into this event, and get 20% off
50k Ultra
Distance: 51 km
Elevation: +1294 m- $123.80/pp
Marathon
Distance: 42 kmElevation: +1118 m- $109.89/pp
Half Marathon
Distance: 21 kmElevation: +479 m- $68.16/pp
Middle
Distance: 9 kmElevation: +205 m- $54.25/pp
Short
Distance: 5 kmElevation: +144 m- $34.78/pp
Online entry closes on Wednesday, 30th Septemver 2026 at 11am. On the day entries will be available if the event is not sold out.
All entries are subject to a small booking fee.
Participants under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a participating adult.
Sign up for Free!
You can enter the 50k Ultra route (51k) for free if you pledge to raise £250 or more for Alzheimer's Research UK. All you have to do is click the button below to register with ARUK, set up your fundraising page and receive your first donation. After that, you'll be sent a code to sign up for the 50k Ultra route for free.
There is a limited number of free places that will be awarded on a first come first serve basis.
By taking part, you’re not just running – you’re helping bring us closer to finding a cure for dementia.
The Routes
Choose your route carefully. The distance and elevation gain should give you some indication as to how easy/hard each route is, as well as showing you where the tougher climbs are.
Official Retail Partner of Maverick Race
Pro:Direct Running and Maverick Race are collaboratively working together to bring a curated and guided range of the best Trail running products to Maverick runners. With Trail races varying in distances from 5 km up to 102 km, whether you are new to Trail or an experienced Ultra runner, Pro:Direct Running has a substantial selection of footwear, clothing, accessories and nutrition for whatever your needs across these distances and trail terrains.
What you get
More Information
CUT OFF POINTS & TIMES
The South Downs cut-off times are as follows. These are in place for your safety and apply to the 50k Ultra & Marathon route. Your safety is our priority - There is no flexibility on cut off times. If you arrive at the outpost after the cut off time, you will be taken back to the finish venue, this is a non-negotiable. You must leave the outpost before the cut off time.
The times below allow you to complete the Ultra / Marathon in 8 hours 30.
Start: Queen Elizabeth Country Park (0km), 08:30
OP1: Harting Down Car Park (12km), 10:30
OP2: Staple Ash Farm (24km), 12:30
OP3: Harting Down Car Park (32.5km / 24km), 14:10
OP4: Chalton (43km / 34km ), 16:00
Finish: Queen Elizabeth Country Park (51km / 42km), 17:00
OUTPOSTS
There will be no outpost on the Short & Middle route. There will be 2 outposts on the Half Marathon route, at approximately 5.5km & 13.5km. There will be 3 outposts on the Marathon route, at approximately 12km, 23km & 33.5km. The 50k Ultra route will have 4 Outposts, please see above for the distances of each. The outposts are designed to act as a top-up for what you are already carrying. There will be a range of sweet & savoury snacks (fruit, cake, crisps) as well as gels and electrolyte drinks.
There will be no toilet on the route for the Short, Middle or Half Marathon course. There will be a toilet at the 1st and 2nd outpost for the Marathon route, and the 1st and 3rd outpost for the Ultra.
PLASTIC FREE
In an effort to keep our trails clean and preserve the nature around us, we’re aiming to keep our outposts cup-free. Please bring a cup or bottle to refill. Speed Cups are available to purchase at each event and online.
HEADPHONES
We strongly recommend not wearing headphones at this event, but if you do want to listen to your tunes whilst on the trials, we recommend bone conduction headphones.
TRANSFERS
If you need to transfer out from this event, you can do this via your Let's Do This account. You can't transfer if the event has sold out. The last day to transfer out of an event is the Monday before event day (5 days before the event). Please refer to our Terms & Conditions to read more about Transfers.
GET THE SUPPORT THAT YOU NEED AS A RUNNER WITH TAILORED PLANS TO ACHIEVE YOUR GOALS, FROM TRAINING FOR A FASTER 5K TO YOUR FIRST MARATHON. USE REFERRAL CODE MAVERICKEVENTS TO UNLOCK YOUR EXCLUSIVE OFFER!
Essential Items
PLEASE PACK:
We strongly recommend that ALL runners, regardless of route, carry at least 1 litre of water, a raincoat, a foil blanket & a mobile phone.
These items are mandatory for 50k Ultra and Marathon routes
Waterproof jacket
Mobile phone (in case of emergency)
800 Calories (equivalent of 2 bars and 2 gels)
Minimum of 1 litre of water
Self-adhesive elastic bandage
Whistle
Foil blanket
Hat or buff
A reusable cup
GPX of the route (on watch or phone (IOS / Android)
Getting to the Race
By Car
Please note the car park is a 15min walk from the start/finish area.
The parking will be free if you park within the event car park
Please note the car park is a 15min walk from the start/finish area.
The parking will be free if you park within the event car park
By Train
Petersfield Train Station - 10min drive to venue (Approx 5miles)
Petersfield Train Station - 10min drive to venue (Approx 5miles)
By Taxi
A2B Taxis Petersfield - 01730 233299
Duke Taxi Service - 01730 622722
A2B Taxis Petersfield - 01730 233299
Duke Taxi Service - 01730 622722
