The race covers just over twenty miles, most of this within the quietly beautiful South Downs. Roughly 90% of the course is off-road, with several gates and stiles which competitors have to negotiate. Runners start the race at the Brighton Marina, but are soon heading East towards Telscombe, where the first of the race's five climbs is situated. The North Face is a short but steep track which leaves all but the fittest short of breath. This first test is soon followed by the gentle uphill of the oddly-named Yellow Brick Road, an incongruous strip of light-coloured tarmac in the middle of the Downs. As runners reach the top and approach the halfway point, they are greeted with spectacular views of the South Downs and the landscape around Lewes. The midway point is also the toughest part of the course, the infamous Big W. Hurtling recklessly downhill towards Kingston-Near-Lewes, you are haunted by the fact that you will be forced to make the treacherous descent and the steep path back up not once but twice. Death Valley, a mercifully flat stretch of grassland with hills on every side, brings respite from the climbs. At this point, runners are faced with the last major difficulty, The Snake, a long, winding trail which returns the race to the uplands. While climbing this slow grind, comfort can be taken in the fact the the rest of the race is downhill.