Running in Brighton

About 5 miles northwest of Brighton, within the South Downs National Park, Devil's Dyke is a dramatic V shaped valley that is officially the longest, deepest, and widest dry valley in Britain, carved by meltwater during the last ice age roughly 10,000 years ago. The valley drops around 100 metres from the surrounding ridgeline, and although there is no water in it today, the scale is obvious the moment the ground falls away in front of you. It is managed by the National Trust and sits within a protected site of special scientific interest, so the surrounding downland is kept largely open and undeveloped. For runners already tackling the climb to Ditchling Beacon, Devil's Dyke is the natural next stop along the same stretch of the South Downs Way.

The trails around the rim of the Dyke are mostly open, rolling chalk grassland, easier underfoot than the steepest sections near Ditchling Beacon but still enough climbing to make it a serious training run rather than a stroll. Local bus services have historically connected central Brighton to the site, making it possible to reach the trailhead without a car, though runners often prefer to run out from Devil's Dyke Road on the edge of the city and treat the whole outing as one continuous route. There is a pub right at the top, which turns a hard training run into a natural excuse for a post run refuel with a view over the Weald. On a clear day the views stretch north across Sussex, a sharp contrast to the sea views on the seafront just a few miles south.

Preston Park is Brighton's largest park and one of its two regular Saturday parkrun venues, with wide, flat paths that make it an easy, sheltered alternative to the windier seafront. Its centrepiece for many visitors is the Preston Park Rockery, one of the largest rock gardens in Britain, built into a series of terraces that add a bit of texture to an otherwise flat lap of the park. The park also backs onto Preston Manor and its grounds, giving runners a mix of formal gardens, open lawns, and mature trees within a single loop. All of this sits a short, flat run from the city centre, making Preston Park a practical option on days when the seafront feels too exposed.

Less obviously connected to running, but impossible to miss once you know it is there, is Preston Park Velodrome, dug out by hand in 1877 and now widely recognised as the oldest cycling track still in use anywhere in the world. At 579 metres around, it is also the longest track in the UK, and although it was built for cycling, its flat tarmac perimeter and the surrounding park paths are a popular, traffic free surface for runners doing intervals or strides. The track has hosted racing on and off for well over a century, pausing only for the two world wars and a period of repair work in the mid 2010s before reopening. For anyone training in Brighton, it is a reminder that the city's sporting history runs well beyond its famous seafront and marathon course.