Sussex Trail Events has announced that two of its most popular races — the Downslink Ultra and The Sufferings — will not take place in 2026, citing venue hire problems, council complications, and personal scheduling conflicts as the reasons behind the decision.
The news will disappoint many runners. The Downslink Ultra, a 38-mile point-to-point route from St Martha’s Hill in Surrey to Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, has sold out in each of its previous nine editions and is widely regarded as one of the most accessible first ultras in the south of England. The Sufferings, held at Washington Village Hall and taking in the iconic hillforts of Chanctonbury and Cissbury Rings, offers distances from half marathon to ultra, packing in over 2,000ft of ascent per lap on some of the South Downs’ toughest trails.
In a post shared to social media, Sussex Trail Events said: “We are committed to bringing these races back but the longer we leave it trying to find new dates, the more we put ourselves into a difficult financial position in such a busy event space.” The organiser confirmed both races are intended to return, with 2027 the target.
Alongside the two cancellations, the 4 Piers Marathon has also been affected. Sussex Trail Events confirmed the race has lost its start venue, though the organiser noted they have “a few leads” and are actively working on a solution. Plans are also in place to bring back all four river marathons in 2027, alongside a brand new weekender event at Southend, with a race at the Pier on Saturday and a car park event on Sunday.
Not everything is on hold, however. The Lightlink and Beer Mile remain unaffected and are still open for entries. Runners looking for a Sussex Trail Events fix in the meantime should head to the Sussex Trail Events website to secure a place.
Elsewhere in the Sussex Trail Events calendar, The Tunnel Marathon on Saturday 21st November 2026 has already sold out — filling its 100-place field. Now in its third edition, the event takes place 100ft underground at the UCAP Bunker near Portsmouth, a former Royal Navy Underground HQ used to plot allied troop movements during the D-Day invasion. A headtorch and cycle helmet are mandatory, with some tunnel sections just 6ft tall. It remains one of the most unique marathon experiences in the UK.
The Downslink Ultra had previously hosted course records of 4:15:50 (Dan Lawson, 2018) and 5:06:32 (Alice Robinson), with its largely flat route following two former railway lines across the Low Weald making it a firm favourite for runners stepping up in distance. The Sufferings, by contrast, is a newer addition to the Sussex Trail Events roster, offering a far more brutal test across three distances — half marathon (£35), marathon (£45), and ultra (£65) — with its 2025 edition drawing 47 finishers in September last year.
Image credit: Peter Holmes / CC BY-SA 2.0
In this article: St Martha’s Hill, Shoreham-by-Sea, Chanctonbury Ring, Cissbury Ring, South Downs, Low Weald, Surrey, West Sussex, Portsmouth, Downs Link, South Downs Way, National Trust, Dan Lawson. Generated by Wikidata Schema Link Builder.
