Chris runs ultras

This was the inaugaral Brighton 50/50 50 mile (80 km) ultra race organized by Runthroughtrails. It starts at Black Rock in Brighton, right on the sea front. It heads up into the hills of the South Downs, and along to Eastbourne, before heading over Beachy Head and Seven Sisters, then finally back to Black Rock along the coast.

This race was a great opportunity for me to try to push a bit. After the relatively safe approach I took to my last race (Swiss Alps 100k), which I completed in just over 24 hours, I wanted to push outside my comfort zone this time round.

My main target was to complete the race in under 8 hours. Training over the summer had gone well, and I felt I was in shape to test my limits. The plan was simple: start strong, manage the climbs, and hold on for as long as possible.

The course is a tough one, with around 1,600m of elevation gain packed into rolling hills for the first two thirds. For the first time in a race, I decided I’d try running up the hills rather than hiking them — a risk, but one I hoped would pay off later.

At around 57km, the character of the race changes. The climbs give way to faster terrain, with two runnable stretches: an 8km section, followed by another 4km later on. My strategy was to survive the early climbs and then push the pace in these faster sections, testing how long I could hold on in the second half.

Fueling was going to be critical, so I built a clear nutrition plan. The goal was simple: stick to it relentlessly, right into the late stages, no matter how I felt.

I started the race strong, comfortably holding pace in the front pack as we climbed onto the South Downs. Up to the second aid station at around 26km, I felt smooth at sub-5:00/km pace, with stretches as quick as 4:30/km. I sat in about 6th place, just behind the leading two women. At both aid stations I stopped for less than 30 seconds — just enough to top up a flask with water — before moving straight on.

I climbed Alfriston Hill well, but then came the big mistake. I followed the two lead women past a critical turn and missed the course marker. By the time I realised, I’d looped all the way back down towards the Alfriston aid station, adding roughly 7km and forcing me to climb the hill a second time.

It was a gut punch. I knew straight away that sub-8 hours, and probably a decent placing, were gone. It felt like such a basic error to make in a key race.

But I didn’t want to throw the whole day away. I decided instead to chase a PB on my watch for the 50-mile distance. With the lost time and extra climbing, it wasn’t certain, but I got my head back down and focused on moving well again.

I hit the 50-mile mark in 8:19, with 2,387m of climbing, and crossed the finish line in 9:11. That placed me 9th out of 98 finishers. The top three all broke 8 hours, and looking back I believe I could have joined them if I’d stayed locked into that early racing mindset.

The course itself was brilliant — a little bit of everything, from coastal paths to rolling hills to big climbs. It’s also a tough route, and probably not one for beginners unless you take it steady.

My nutrition plan went exactly to script. I stayed on top of calories without overloading my stomach and had good energy all day. I drank only water and Coke, and held back the Coke until the second half which gave it the kick I needed later on. Apart from a single slice of watermelon, I didn’t touch aid-station food.

Even with the detour, this race gave me a lot of confidence. My training is clearly working: I’m getting fitter, stronger, and more resilient. Most importantly, I’m learning how to stay in the pain cave longer each time.

Notes on the route

• 4 big climbs
  • Leaving Brighton
  • Southease
  • Alfriston
  • Seven sisters
• 1 fast flat running section
  • 8k at Seaford

• First 7km is up hill until 195m
• AS1 is at the bottom of the first big climb only stop very quickly to fill water
• Second big climb is 2km after AS1 and lasts about 6.5km
• AS2 is at the bottom of the second big climb
• Third big climb is 500m after AS2 and lasts about 2.5km
• Down, up, down for 7km
• AS3 is at first marathon
• Lumpy seven sisters starts about 45km keep poles out until Westdean
• AS4 in Westdean after lumpyness
• Seaford flat starts at 58km and lasts about 8km
• AS5 at the end of this first fast run section
• Last flat starts at 75.5km and lasts about 4km

Nutrition plan