Leg 5: Housedean Farm to Ditchling Beacon
- Distance
- 4.9 mi / 7.9 km
- Climb
- 259 m
- Descent
- 81 m
Start
Housedean Farm
Grid ref TQ 36990 09203
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Finish
Ditchling Beacon
Grid ref TQ 33388 12963
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Parking
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All vehicles should park in the lay by, not on the road outside Housedean Farm.
Getting there
By rail
Falmer railway station
1.5 miles from the leg start.
By bus
29 and 29A
Stop is outside Housedean Farm.
Runs from Brighton to Tunbridge Wells and Heathfield via Lewes.
Multiple departures all day, every day.
The route
For most runners this will be their first leg of the day and I found it something of a rude awakening. I started my day of running here in the 2024 edition of the race and the heart rate was in the red very soon after, where it stayed for the next 40 minutes.
After being handed the baton, I started up the path and then immediately took a slight left to go through the gate.
Take caution here as I overshot it on the day in 2024 and the adrenaline can easily take over.
It’s then a steep uphill run for the best part of 400m where you’d be well advised to run-walk. So long as you’re out of view of the spectators of course.
After going through the gate at the top, you enter the woods at the top known as ‘Bunkers’. It’s the only bit of sustained downhill running on the entire leg, so enjoy it for all of 90 seconds. Just keep an eye out for tree roots.
Out of the woods, you briefly head east before making a turn north to run uphill along the edge of a grass field for a couple of km and in 2024 this was into a strong headwind. 80% of the time it’s a headwind into your face on this leg so don’t be surprised if it hits you, too.
This section lasts for a couple of km with a set of gates in the middle. You eventually reach a chalk path where you turn right and a short respite from the wind. The leg does flatten out slightly up here and after another gate you are rewarded with a nice runnable section across a field.
At the end of the field, there’s a small section of path on the edge of some woods before you take a sharp left turn onto a small uphill before a flat section of road. I picked up the pace here to average around 7 minutes per mile, which at the time was around half marathon effort for me.
You’ll eventually go through a final gate and commence the final 2km with a quick climb after which I could see the finish line. This section is exposed to the headwind and undulating. Even so, you can empty the tank here as it’s less than 2km to the finish. I found the ground good and knowing our team’s next runner was raring to go, kept me motivated.
This is a two baton changeover so I finished the leg by touching the final gate and then the next runner was set off by the marshal on the other side of the road.
Changeover
Double baton changeover at the end of this leg
For crews
After leaving Southease at the start of leg 4, you will have plenty of time. Teams usually visit the Starbucks on the A27 westbound carriageway where there is a toilet and petrol station to buy supplies. This is the final chance to get any supplies and use a proper toilet until the start of leg 12 at Littleton Farm.
Your driver should then rejoin the A27 and drive to the Falmer exit where you then rejoin the eastbound carriageway. It’s then a two-minute drive to the lay-by immediately after where leg 5 starts. The mini bus parks here with the navigator and runner going to the start, whilst the other runners usually get out and stretch their legs.
After the two runners swap the baton, it’s on to Ditchling Beacon. The most direct route is to drive down to Kingston roundabout and then back up the A27 to the Ditchling turn-off. If the traffic is bad there are other routes, so keep an eye on traffic reports.
Parking at the end of leg 5 is in the car park at Ditchling Beacon, which is National Trust. The changeover is a double baton, so no one is allowed to cross the main road to meet the leg 5 runner.