Had my heart set on running this Christmas Day and luck had it that the weather was perfect. Skies were blue, wind was low and although slightly cold (1 Degree when I set off) it made the perfect conditions. Had never ran this route before so took a chance on the Inov8 Mudclaws which turns out were not ideal as ground under foot conditions were firm due to overnight temperatures and there was longer road sections than I was expecting.
In terms of the route the climbs were steady, thought that the large climb after Old Coach Road was the toughest and the felt it in the legs after the long gradual concrete paved section towards the end of the South Downs Way. Some great downhill sections too that are not too technical so was great to really open up. Course was easy to navigate too which meant I could enjoy the scenery and not have to focus too hard on Navigation.
Overall had a glorious run and really enjoyed the route.