Training exercise turns out to be a winner for Fareham long distance runner Jack Oates on scenic South Downs 50K course

Watch more of our videos on ShotsTV.com 
and on Freeview 262 or Freely 565
Visit Shots! now
Fareham's Jack Oates came out on top in the inaugural South Downs 50K event.

The 26-year-old run enthusiast was the only entrant to post a time under the four-hour mark as he breezed through the 129 field.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Incredibly, Oates was using the South Downs 50k, which begins in Falmer and finishes in Eastbourne, taking in the scenic Sussex coast, as a training event to prepare for bigger upcoming goals including the Snowdonia 50k and the Dorset Giants Head Marathon later this year.

Yet it turned out to be the perfect fine-tuning exercise. with his time of 3hrs 48mins 30secs proving more than sufficient to make it back home first.

Fareham's Jack Oates with his South Downs 50k winning trophy Picture: Stuart March PhotographyFareham's Jack Oates with his South Downs 50k winning trophy Picture: Stuart March Photography
Fareham's Jack Oates with his South Downs 50k winning trophy Picture: Stuart March Photography

Oates, who has previously won the Snowdonia and Isle of Wight Marathons, said: ‘I've had quite an up and down (time) injury-wise and I've got a few things coming up that are more my goal race. That (South Downs 50K) was more like a b (back-up), training-type thing.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘(At the) start of next month I've got a 50km in Snowdonia so that's more the goal. The week before that I'm doing the Giants Head Marathon in Dorset with my dad.

‘I went out at the front, I went out to push the pace to see what was happening. I wanted to take it out quite hard to see who stayed with what kind of pace. I was doing alright until mile 24 then it went onto the Seven Sisters and we came back on the coast path.

‘The most cruel part was about two miles before the end, going down this hill, you could see Eastbourne - I thought that's great I've only got to go down the hill - that was only in the 100km (event). If you were in the 50km you had to go back on myself to go back down the hill so that was quite soul-destroying!’

Oates came home more than 10 minutes before second-placed finisher Paul Russhard (04:01:22), while Ajay Hanspal completed the top three (04:04:27).

Comment Guidelines

National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.