The Amble is an event held by Hastings Runners in August each year. It costs just £10 to enter which covers the cost of the minibus. That takes you from Hastings out to Ditchling Beacon, near Brighton. It is the highest point of the South Downs Way.

It’s a route which is used by many of the Ultra Running companies in their big races such as the SDW50/100 and the South Coast Challenge.

The run simply follows the South Downs Way path which is clearly marked along the route. The minibus’ will follow the runners at stop at regular intervals to allow the opportunity to top up with water, grab some food, or even jump on the bus and take a ride for one of the legs.

From recollection the minibus stops at the main A259 about 10k into the route, then again at Southease near the YMCA, Bo Peep car park which is high up on the South Downs, Jevington and again at Alfriston.

The route finishes at Hampden Park where runners can grab some food from the cafe before being driven back to Hastings in the minibus.

It’s an all day event and suitable for all abilities as you can run as much or as little as the route as you choose with the minibus there to offer you that support.

It is a challenging route especially towards the end with some demanding hills but the views from the top of the Downs are spectacular. If you are training for a Autumn marathon or Ultra this an excellent way to get some much needed time on feet.

I’ll be running it for a 2nd time in 2025 and I’m training for a marathon. Again I just treat it as a long run but will definitely be walking a lot of the hills, so not to over do things.

Quite a few of the runners I have coached have used this as part of their training too and if you plan to do any of the ultra races along the South Downs Way in the future it’s an excellent opportunity to familiarise yourself with the route.

It is only open to Hastings Runners, so if you’re not a member but wanted to give this a try then you can sign up for just £20 per year. There are another 7 club only races which are free to enter if you are a member of the club. So definitely worth signing up for.