Goodwood is accustomed to racing, although the competitors setting off on Saturday 7 November will be relying on two legs rather than four wheels or four hooves.

The South Downs Trail Run starts and finishes at Goodwood Racecourse before leaving the famous sporting venue behind for a journey into the South Downs National Park. Runners can choose 21.3K, 16.5K or 12K, with canicross available across all three distances.

Last year's event sold out and attracted more than 1,000 runners, and entries are open for its 2026 return.

The longest route packs 328m of climbing into 21.3K, mixing forest tracks, bridleways and single-track trails. It skirts Levin Down, joins a section of the South Downs Way and drops into East Dean before a final climb points runners back towards Goodwood.

The 16.5K option is hardly an easy escape, with 309m of elevation, while the 12K route has 199m. On a clear November morning there are far-reaching views across the South Downs, with Chichester Harbour and the Isle of Wight among the distant landmarks that can be seen from the route.

The 21.3K gets proceedings underway at 9:00am, followed by the 16.5K at 9:15am and 12K at 9:30am. Canicross runners set off five minutes after each corresponding start.

Goodwood has seen plenty of different forms of racing over the years. This November, pink course arrows point the way from the racecourse to a rather different day at the races.

Enter now via the runABC race hub.

Image courtesy UK Running Events.