East to west solo run, starting at the trailhead sign at Holywell (Eastbourne) at 6:34pm on Friday 11 April 2025. Ran through the night and finished at the signpost in Winchester (at the old City Mill) at 8:07pm the following evening. Total of 25 hrs, 33 mins, 29 sec - I'm aware the Centurion race times are much faster (though on a slightly different route), but I haven't come across any other solo efforts like mine.
Solo, unsupported run carrying 4.6 kg of food and gear. Used publicly available water taps along the route (thanks to www.southdownsdouble.co.uk/taps) and a couple of public rubbish bins. Followed the GPX route on this FKT page as closely as possible (including the Seven Sisters variant), though in reverse for a change of scene and to take advantage of a mild easterly breeze (I don't believe either direction would be noticeably different/faster than the other). The only minor diversion in place was along the River Cuckmere between Alfriston and Litlington - negligible impact on distance/time. The only tracking/verifiation I had was my watch, but local runner Mike Skinner was my emergency contact and can vouch for my effort (until he beats it...).
All in all a pretty amazing run. Started out with a stunning sunset over the Seven Sisters and felt strong leading into a mild, moonlit night. The moon was so bright I only used my headtorch about half the time. The sunrise was a big boost but I started to suffer a bit during the relative warmth of the following day, and my original target of 24 hours slipped away from me. I had done most of the route before in sections, but it was definitely a bit hillier than I remembered. Plus 100 miles is just a really long way... Fortunately I ate well the whole time, getting down about 5,000 calories (I was down to my final two bars at the finish!).
This was a rewarding bit of redemption after a failed attempt last year, when I pulled out half way due to marginal weather conditions and insufficient 'safety net' (not enough emergency clothes, no familiarity with route/bail-out options, no back-up battery for my phone etc.). I was much better prepared this time and feel like I executed my plan well, happy days.