2027 Sussex Coastal Marathon - Mar 6 Countdown

Q: Is the Sussex Coastal Marathon flat? How hard is it?

It is the opposite of flat - it is a genuinely brutal trail marathon. The course rolls relentlessly over the chalk humps of the Seven Sisters, packing in roughly 1,280m (about 4,196ft) of total ascent, and the steep descents punish your quads almost as much as the climbs. Combined with the off-road surface, most runners finish well outside their road-marathon time. Plan your effort with our pace calculator and study the climbs with our elevation profile tool.

Q: How much climbing does the Sussex Coastal Marathon have?

The full marathon over the Seven Sisters packs in roughly 1,280m of total elevation gain (about 4,196ft per the organizer; older, slightly longer editions measured nearer 4,950ft). It is one of the tougher coastal trail marathons in southern England, with the ascent delivered as a chain of short, steep chalk climbs rather than one big mountain. The repeated up-and-down is what makes it so hard.

Q: What surface is the Sussex Coastal Marathon and what shoes should I wear?

The course is almost entirely off-road on chalk path, open grass downland and forest trail across the South Downs cliffs. Trail shoes with real grip are strongly recommended - early-March chalk and grass can be wet and slick, and the steep clifftop descents reward confident footing. Road trainers will leave you slipping on the wet downland, so save them for a different race.

Q: How do I enter the Sussex Coastal Marathon 2027?

Entry is open to the public online through the official Endurancelife site (endurancelife.com/sussex), with no ballot. The standard marathon fee is around 59 GBP, and the field shares the day with a 10K, half marathon and ultra. The event is capacity-limited and popular, so book ahead; the marathon is also recognised as a UTMB qualifier.

Q: What time does the Sussex Coastal Marathon start and is there a cut-off?

The 2027 edition is on Saturday 6 March 2027, with a race briefing at 08:00 at Helen Gardens and the distances setting off in sequence through the morning (the ultra goes first, the marathon shortly after). Course closure is managed by checkpoint cut-off times rather than a single posted finish limit, giving a generous window of roughly 6 to 7 hours - confirm your exact wave time and checkpoint cut-offs in the official participant manual before race day.

Q: Is the Sussex Coastal Marathon a Boston Qualifier?

No. Because the course is an off-road clifftop trail over chalk, grass and forest rather than a UK Athletics road-certified, accurately measured road race, a Sussex Coastal finish is not valid for Boston qualifying (BQ) or a London Good For Age (GFA) entry. Come for the Seven Sisters and the challenge, not a PB. If a qualifying time is your goal, check the standards with our Good For Age tool and pick a flat, certified road race instead.

Q: How do I get to the Sussex Coastal Marathon, and where do I stay?

The event base is at Helen Gardens in Eastbourne, well served by Eastbourne railway station (direct trains from London Victoria), but the marathon start at Birling Gap is up on the cliffs with no station - most runners drive and use the event car parks or stay in Eastbourne and travel out to the start. Eastbourne has plentiful seafront hotels and B and Bs; book early for the early-March race weekend.

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Race Information

Race	2027 Sussex Coastal Marathon - Mar 6
City	Eastbourne
Date	2027-03-06 at 09:00
Time Limit	7 hours
Cutoff pace	9:57/km
Timezone	Europe/London
Official Site	Endurancelife
Registration	Register · 59 GBP

Race Day Weather

Average Temperature	5.8°C / 42°F
Humidity	88%
Wind	29.4 km/h
Rain Chance	42%
Typical Conditions	A raw, exposed early-spring morning on the East Sussex chalk coast. Expect around 8C (47F) at the start near Birling Gap, climbing only to about 10C, with high humidity and a strong, cold sea wind funnelling over the open clifftops. Showers are common in early March, and the wind chill on the Seven Sisters is the real story.

What to Prepare: Layer up for single-digit Celsius and a biting headwind on the exposed cliffs - a windproof and gloves earn their place. This is a genuine trail race on chalk, grass and forest, so wear trail shoes with real grip and run by effort, not pace: the relentless climbs and steep descents will slow you well below your road-marathon time.

Based on historical averages for race week. Use our Weather Score Calculator and What to Wear Guide for personalized advice.

Wind Impact on Race Day

Wind at 29.4 km/h can affect your marathon pace by 5-15 seconds per kilometer. Headwinds slow you down exponentially — a 20 km/h wind costs more than twice a 10 km/h wind.

Calculate your wind-adjusted pace →

Race-Week Climate

Based on 20 years of race-week weather (2005-2024), MERRA-2 reanalysis

	Cooler	Typical	Warmer
Temperature	2.4°C	6.2°C	8.8°C
Dew point	0°C	4.1°C	7.6°C

Wet-day chance: 42% Runnability: 61/100

Data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis), NASA Langley Research Center

Course Profile

Course Type	Looping clifftop trail (a rough figure-of-eight) over the Seven Sisters, starting and finishing at Birling Gap
Elevation Gain	1280m
Terrain	Trail
Profile	Genuinely brutal and far from flat. The marathon climbs and drops repeatedly over the chalk switchbacks of the Seven Sisters with roughly 1,280m (about 4,196ft) of total ascent on grass, chalk path and forest trail. The leg-sapping descents are nearly as hard as the climbs - expect to finish well outside your road-marathon time.

Prepare for 2027 Sussex Coastal Marathon - Mar 6

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Sussex Coastal Marathon route?

The Endurancelife Coastal Trail Series (CTS) Sussex Marathon is a looping clifftop trail (a rough figure-of-eight) along the East Sussex coast that shoulders the towns of Eastbourne and Seaford. The marathon and ultra start and finish at Birling Gap, just west of Eastbourne, looping out over the dramatic chalk switchbacks of the Seven Sisters on a mix of grass, chalk path and forest trail, with the event base and registration at Helen Gardens, Eastbourne (BN20 7XL). There are no public roads on the route.

Is the Sussex Coastal Marathon flat? How hard is it?

It is the opposite of flat - it is a genuinely brutal trail marathon. The course rolls relentlessly over the chalk humps of the Seven Sisters, packing in roughly 1,280m (about 4,196ft) of total ascent, and the steep descents punish your quads almost as much as the climbs. Combined with the off-road surface, most runners finish well outside their road-marathon time. Plan your effort with our pace calculator and study the climbs with our elevation profile tool.

How much climbing does the Sussex Coastal Marathon have?

The full marathon over the Seven Sisters packs in roughly 1,280m of total elevation gain (about 4,196ft per the organizer; older, slightly longer editions measured nearer 4,950ft). It is one of the tougher coastal trail marathons in southern England, with the ascent delivered as a chain of short, steep chalk climbs rather than one big mountain. The repeated up-and-down is what makes it so hard.

What surface is the Sussex Coastal Marathon and what shoes should I wear?

The course is almost entirely off-road on chalk path, open grass downland and forest trail across the South Downs cliffs. Trail shoes with real grip are strongly recommended - early-March chalk and grass can be wet and slick, and the steep clifftop descents reward confident footing. Road trainers will leave you slipping on the wet downland, so save them for a different race.

How do I enter the Sussex Coastal Marathon 2027?

Entry is open to the public online through the official Endurancelife site (endurancelife.com/sussex), with no ballot. The standard marathon fee is around 59 GBP, and the field shares the day with a 10K, half marathon and ultra. The event is capacity-limited and popular, so book ahead; the marathon is also recognised as a UTMB qualifier.

What time does the Sussex Coastal Marathon start and is there a cut-off?

The 2027 edition is on Saturday 6 March 2027, with a race briefing at 08:00 at Helen Gardens and the distances setting off in sequence through the morning (the ultra goes first, the marathon shortly after). Course closure is managed by checkpoint cut-off times rather than a single posted finish limit, giving a generous window of roughly 6 to 7 hours - confirm your exact wave time and checkpoint cut-offs in the official participant manual before race day.

Is the Sussex Coastal Marathon a Boston Qualifier?

No. Because the course is an off-road clifftop trail over chalk, grass and forest rather than a UK Athletics road-certified, accurately measured road race, a Sussex Coastal finish is not valid for Boston qualifying (BQ) or a London Good For Age (GFA) entry. Come for the Seven Sisters and the challenge, not a PB. If a qualifying time is your goal, check the standards with our Good For Age tool and pick a flat, certified road race instead.

How do I get to the Sussex Coastal Marathon, and where do I stay?

The event base is at Helen Gardens in Eastbourne, well served by Eastbourne railway station (direct trains from London Victoria), but the marathon start at Birling Gap is up on the cliffs with no station - most runners drive and use the event car parks or stay in Eastbourne and travel out to the start. Eastbourne has plentiful seafront hotels and B and Bs; book early for the early-March race weekend.