Hundred Hills 50km 2024 Preview

The 2024 season opener is upon us. The second edition of our Hundred Hills 50km kicks off this Saturday 16th March from 0900. As usual you can follow the race live via the website here - both the timing and tracking pages will be updated in due course. 

We welcome a record field of 500 to Stonor Park for this years' event, which many are hoping will be a little bit drier both overhead and underfoot vs the 2023 event where let's just say things got a bit slippery. 

On to the likely contenders for the top spots in both the womens and mens fields.

WOMEN

Sophie Biggs: Winner of our Chiltern Wonderland 50 in 2022 a year in which she also finished on the podium at the North Downs Way 50. In 2023 she raced ten ultras, eight of them in the UK and finished in the top five in all of them, only slipping outside of that at this event last March where she was sixth.

Sophie Biggs

Rachel Lindley: Fourth at our Wendover Woods Night 50km in 2023, in 2022 Rachel ran our 50 mile Slam and finished in the top six in all four events, including a podium at Chiltern Wonderland 50.

Rachel Lindley

Anna Klucnika: Twice ran under 3 hours for the Marathon last year, at both Chester and Manchester, as well as recording an 81 minute half at Cambridge, making her likely the fastest road runner in the field. It looks like she has just one 50km to her name up at Yorkshire Wolds, a race which she won and in fact beat all of the mens field too.

Victoria Henderson: Fifth at the Winter Downs 200 in December, Victoria goes to the other end of our distance range here! She has previously won the Testway Ultra, finished fifth at Wendover Woods Night 50km and eighth at the Autumn 100. 

In the hunt for top ten: Rebecca Ash, Catherine Hicks.

 

MEN

Centurion Head Coach and Team Runner Robbie Britton is back at a Centurion event for the first time since his win at the South Downs Way 100 in 2013. Prior to that he won our first ever event, the North Downs Way 100 in 2011 and finished second to Craig Holgate at the inaugural TP100, which earned him an England vest from which he has gone on to much international glory. Robbie is probably best known for being the British Mens 24hr Record holder - 277km which he ran in Turin early last year, but his range is what really sets him apart. He has won races all the way from 5km up to 24 hours and has the ability to race well on any surface. With plenty of trail and mountain in his regular racing and training as well as road and track. His 2:57 50km in 2022 makes him the fastest over this distance in the field. 2024 is off to a good start, with a win at the Anderson Trail 46km over a field of 250 at the end of February in Italy, which he now calls home.

Robbie Britton

Mark Darbyshire is another member of the Centurion Ultra Team and is without doubt at the very top of both his game, and the sport in the UK. His most recent outing saw him set another course record at the Arc of Attrition, winning the race by well over an hour in 18:51. He holds the course record at Lakeland 100, the North Downs Way 100 and the 13 Valleys Ultra. But he also dominates at shorter ultras too. Course record holder at Lakes Traverse and the Arc 50 he has won plenty of trail ultras in the marathon to 40 mile range in recent years too. 

Mark Darbyshire on route to another Arc of Attrition win (Photo: David Miller Photography)

Jacob James: Living just a few miles from Centurion HQ in Hertforshire, local speedster Jacob James has picked up plenty of wins, podiums and top tens at events ranging from 5km to 50 miles over the last few years. He has started 2024 well, with a third at the North Downs Ridge 50km. In 2023 he repeated that result, was third at Hurtwood 50km and second at the Maverick Chilterns X ultra on similar ground to this event. Second at the 2022 Chiltern Wonderland 50 has been his best Centurion result.

Kallum Pritchard: A man with real pace over shorter ultras. Winner of Country to Capital this year in 5:01, he also ran a sub 3 hour marathon around Wendover Woods in November 2023 to record a win there. Previous Robin Hood 100 mile champion.

Mark Potts: Possibly too short for Mark by around 200 miles. Mark has had a 6th, 5th and 8th in the last three editions of the Spine Race which is incredibly consistency especially there. He has also had Top 5 finishes at Lakes Traverse, Northern Traverse, Summer Spine, Hardwolds 80 and won the Spine Challenger.

In the hunt for top ten: Centurion Coach Jamie Pugh, David Hanna, Adam Lucas-Lucas, James Whetman, Joachim Hassel, Jason Leaf, Ben Hall, Thomas Wright.