Leg 18: Holden Farm to Chilcomb Sports Ground

Commonly referred to as ‘The Glory Leg’, I did this one in 2025 and the start is one of my favourite points on this side of the South Downs Way thanks to the lovely cafe that I’ve waited at numerous times.

I had knowledge of the start of this leg from the previous year when I had leg 17, so the handover was familiar. After taking the baton from the leg 17 runner, I ran up the road to cross the main road. It’s then another 100m up a farm track before you take a sharp right turn. It’s then a 100m scamper down to the corner, another sharp turn and that’s when the leg feels like it begins.

You then embark on two miles of undulations where you can make a good dent in your time for the leg. Navigation is easy with a few gates along the way and one road crossing. You’ll eventually get to a point where the South Downs Way follows a path alongside a farm road and at the top of that, you turn left.

It’s around a mile of climbing from here and I remember finding this harder than I expected. You’ll have the two earlier efforts in your legs and I would recommend saving something for the final stages including a sprint across the field.

During the section there is a tricky navigation point where you’ll need to take a gate to continue on route. This is alongside a wider vehicle gate, but make sure you don’t take the road to the left.

After this, you run through the woods for a few hundred metres to Cheesefoot Head. This is one of the points where your team see you through on the day and my teammates were there to cheer me on in 2025.

You’ll need to take care when crossing the main road and then you’re into the final stages of the leg. Run to the edge of the first field and take a sharp right, following the South Downs Way sign. It’s then a 1.5km section of more undulations and then a lovely quick downhill section.

Another key navigational point up next where you should follow the track round to the left and not across the field. This track eventually leads you to a sharp right turn onto the road. Empty the tank down this hill and you’re almost there.

You’ll reach a junction where you should follow the road to the right and then left. Keep an eye out for a short set of stairs. Go up them and then you’re into the fields that lead to the finish. Follow this until you see a marshal by a gap in the fence. Head through the gap and then give it everything. Follow the route across the field and over the finish line. Done!