The following leg descriptions have been written from memory. We apologise for any errors or omissions. If anyone finds something different as they run the legs please let us know and we will make the necessary alterations.
Leg 1 Emsworth to Warblington Church
From the start head down the road left around the bend and, just after the ice cream shop (on the left) turn right onto a cobbled area which leads onto a narrow footbridge to the sea wall.
Run around the sea wall and at the end run ahead onto a narrow footpath to the right of the sailing club. This leads to the concrete coast path.
Follow this path which becomes a narrow stony or grass path when the concrete ends. When the path ends and you cross a small pebble beach area and stream the coast path turns left to follow the shoreline. We want the path straight ahead into the woods on a hard packed earth track. This heads to a kissing gate, straight ahead across a field and then through another kissing gate. At the junction of tracks keep ahead along the narrow path with the church wall on your right.
At the end of the path, by the road, this leg ends. If you are the main runner running this leg you need to carry straight on into leg 2.
Leg 2 Warblington Church to West Leigh
Go straight ahead into the cemetery with the children's graves immediately on your left. At the end turn left and look out for an easy to miss kissing gate on the right hand side after about 60 metres. Go through this gate and head diagonally left across the field to a gate which leads back to the coastal path.
Turn right onto the path heading towards Hayling Island bridge. Ignore the 1st right turn and drop down onto the beach with wooden stakes holding the sea at bay to your right. The path goes up a small concrete incline with a seat at the top. Turn right here and follow a hard packed mud track into the woods. After a short distance you come to a white house on your right and the track becomes tarmac. Keep ahead.
A short distance further turn onto a short path going diagonally left between 2 small fields. At the end of the path cross the small bridge and turn right onto the tarmac Hayling Billy cycle trail.
Keep ahead along this trail and when the trail joins a road look out for the path continuing slightly right and under a bridge when the road curls left up the incline.
When the path ends through some simulated level crossing gates turn right onto the road and cross the railway crossing. Keep ahead along New lane passing a number of industrial buildings on the right.
At the main road turn right and run a short distance along Bartons Road and STOP at the changeover point where the leg ends.
Leg 3 West Leigh to Rowlands Castle - leg starts with a marshal run baton changeover
From the handover point, run along Wakefords Way which has houses on the left and a green area to the right, past the car park and sports pavilion turning right at the top of the rise into Prospect Lane. Run down the lane to the T junction with the B2148.
CAUION. Do not run into the main road. Turn left along the footpath to the marshal. STOP. The marshal will direct you across the road onto the bridlepath (Shipwrights Way).
Follow the track straight on all the way into Rowlands Castle. Caution, the track changes to a concrete road for the last few yards. This is "Keyline Builders" access road.
Run down the hill to Rowlands Castle village green. Bear right and cross over to the green. The change over point will be at the large tree at the eastern end of the greem (as in previous years).
Team members, please guide your incoming runner safely across the road onto the green.
Leg 4 Rowlands Castle to Finchdean
Run back towards to bridge but turn left up Bowes Hill. Ignore right turn and continue up the hill.
After 100 metres turn right into a housing estate (Uplands Lane). After a short while the road opens out onto a green. Go left and look out for an easy to miss footpath between houses (there was a big W painted on the no cycling sign by the footpath entrance in April 2008). Run up the footpath and turn right at top.
Run past houses and look out for the Sussex Border Path footpath sign. It s easy to miss and is where the wide track carries straight ahead but the footpath goes left and then right to leave the houses behind.
Once on the footpath proper continue ahead on obvious path. At junction with road go right down hill. At road junction turn left and keep left at centre of village. Keep on this road until a footpath sign takes you into a field and you then run alongside the road but the other side of the hedge. The leg ends by a stile where the footpath turns sharp right uphill.
Leg 5 Finchdean to Chalton
From the changeover point by the stile head up the hill on the footpath. The path continues uphill for a while. At a junction of tracks by some trees turn left continuing uphill on a path that gradually curls round to the right - keeping the field on your right and the trees on the left. Ignore the footpaths that appear on the left.
Eventually you will see a footpath that crosses a stile in to a field on your left just before some power lines. The path heads on uphill across this field to reach the brow of the hill - at last!
Continue ahead on an obvious path through crops dropping downhill all the time. Eventually you will come to a stile that leaves the field on the left. Head on down the grass heading for the church which is about 400 metres away.
The path crosses another stile and cemetery with the church on the left to end as the path goes under a lynch gate.
This is the next changeover point.
Leg 6 Chalton to Buriton
From the Lynch gate keep to the right of the small green area, and at the road - not the track immediately right - go right up the hill, ignoring the path sign immediately in front.
After 400 metres bear left onto a wide track. This track continues slightly uphill for a short distance before dropping down on a - if wet - slippery chalk track.
At the road go left. The small country road has the main railway line down to your right before is bears left away and then drops downhill. When the trees on the right end and after a few metres of hedge turn right and cross a stile into a large field. Take care not to go into the field by the gate which is at the start of the field but go ahead a few metres to the stile is by a gap in the hedge!
The obvious path climbs steadily uphill and - eventually - crests the hill and drops down left to a stile into the woods.
Go ahead onto a wide forest track across a junction of tracks and up - and lots more up - to crest the hill and along the flat section, all the time with woods on either side of the track (part of Queen Elizabeth Country Park). Just before the main track climbs slightly and curves left, ignoring the obvious wide grass track that drops down to the right (this track is out of bounds!), but after a few more metres take the narrow path that goes into the trees and drops quickly downhill.
The path eventually curves round to the right and onto a narrow country road. Turn right here and, just after a wide track goes uphill to the right, go left onto a narrow easy to miss narrow footpath which drops down into the woods.
Follow this footpath that continually drops downhill in the woods as it curls round the hillside. Take great care as the path drops steeply downhill to a stile - very slippery if wet!
Cross the stile and go ahead across a field to the stile near the church. The stile is the changeover point.
Leg 7 Buriton to Petersfield
From the stile go round by the front of the church and go right onto the road.
After a few metres turn left up Bones lane. After a large house with a protruding upstairs room go right and then onto a narrow footpath. After a few metres go left through a gate and enter a grassy valley.
Keep to the left of the hillside, resisting the urge to drop down to the valley floor. Keep ahead on a path that sometimes becomes indistinct and cross a number of stiles.
Eventually look out as the path drops to a stile over a stream. Cross the stile and go right to cross another stile. Keeping the hedgerow immediately on the right run through the field to then cross a bridge and go across a field to a caravan park. The stile is by a large sign in the field corner.
Go left into the caravan park and at the road junction turn right. Go up to the park office and then take the narrow path immediately opposite. Go along the path and then up the wider track to eventually bear left to the main road where this leg ends.
Leg 8 Petersfield to Steep - leg starts with a marshal run baton changeover
From the handover point run along Cranford road. This road then becomes Borough Road and makes a wide curve round to the right. After a while a go left into a grass area and then climb right up the hill. At the top of the grass turn left, cross the railway footbridge and then turn right along Bedford Road. At the road junction bear left into Frenchmans Road and continue to the main road.
At the main road turn right and then left following footpath sign between VW garage buildings. At a junction of tracks keep ahead for a short distance to come to a road and bear slightly left along this road - ignoring the footpath on the right.
The Hangers Way footpath is then obviously ahead as the road goes right with a road also going slightly left. Go through the gap to the left of the gate and continue onto the footpath.
This path crosses the main A3 road and at a t junction of tracks turn right on a path that then curls left following the edge of the school field with a small wood on the right.
The leg ends where the path comes out onto the road by the church.
Leg 9 Steep to Hawkley
Go into the field opposite the church and go slightly right of the tree with the seat beneath to find a track going down through the woods - frequently wet.
At the bottom go over a stile and keep left around a very muddy field to a - usually wet - metal kissing gate. Turn right onto the road and, as the road goes right, go ahead up a short narrow footpath by a waterfall. At the top turn left to follow an obvious path.
Keep following the path which is joined by a track from the left to eventually come to a t junction with a road.
Ignore the Hangers Way sign to go left but instead turn right and after a short distance turn left to go up a field to some woods. As you enter the woods take the middle path that climbs steeply uphill onto some steps and then onto a steep hillside (Shoulder of Mutton Hill) that climbs up the Hanger - on a good day the views south are worth the effort.
At the top go ahead into the woods around a stile, ignoring the track from the right with a red horse route sign, to the wide track t junction with a fence in front. Turn right and after a short distance go left over a stile. Cross the left hand side of the field and follow the footpath that then goes right and then come to a stile as the path starts to go steeply downhill. Go on steeply downhill through the field and cross another stile. Go round the right hand side of the field which then goes left to a stile by a house. Cross the stile and go on down the path to a road at the bottom of the hill.
The path goes over a stile slightly right of ahead. Follow this sometimes indistinct path through the narrow grass field to then go round the left of the field with trees on your left. The path curves left to end to the left of a house and goes up a narrow path to a tarmaced track. Go ahead to end the leg at the junction with the road by the village green.
Leg 10 Hawkley to Vann Farm
From the changeover point go left on the road keeping left as the road joins from the left.
Look out for a short road on the right by some houses with a footpath sign. Go right here passed the houses and then into a filed to some woods.
Enter the woods and almost immediately turn right following the Hangers Way sign. The path then stays just inside the woods with a field to the right and continues undulating around the hillside.
Where a path goes slightly left of ahead take the right hand path down and then around to the left to continue as before around the edge of the woods ignoring paths that exit the woods.
Eventually you go down and then up some steps. After this the path exits the woods into a field. Go around the left hand edge of the field to come to a stile and then comes to a road by a house.
Turn left onto the road for 100 meters to end the leg where a footpath sign goes right by a gate and stile.
Leg 11 Vann Farm to Charity Farm
From the stile by the gate run into the field following the Hanger Way footpath. At a stile (was broken as of 03/08) keep ahead. Cross another stile to go into a small country road and go right over a small bridge by a ford.
Cross the road and go over a stile into a field. Keep to the right of the field and where the trees end on the right cross another stile into the next field.
Aim for the tree line at the top of the field at a point approximately 30 degrees right of the left hand edge on an indistinct (nothing visible as of 03/08). Cross the stile into the woods and climb on a path that goes right for a few metres and then left. The path climbs steeply to the top of the hanger (Noar Hill).
At a junction of tracks bear left onto path marked with a yellow disk, through the wood. This takes you out to a field that rises to your left, but follow the right hand hedge line. The ground rises then descends crossing a small lane to the change over point.
Leg 12 Charity Farm to Upper Farringdon Church
From the bend in the lane a finger post marks the route diagonally across a planted field. Caution the path now crosses the Selborne to Tisted road. Cross the road and follow Green Lane (a stony track).
Climb up from the corner of Selborne Common to a field gate on the left hand side. Pass through the gate and immediately fork right on a footpath across a planted field over two stiles to Newton Valence Church.
Continue through the Church grounds and turn right down a path running along the back of a green. Go through a pair of kissing gates and descend a long grassy field towards a small white lodge, over a stile and out to the lane.
Turn right and first left on a farm track which rises to a distant pilon. Turn left on a grassy track, soon after going under a power line a footpath goes up a bank on your right hand side through a hedge.
Bear to your right and aim for the pylon to your right to take the diagonal path across the field, cross the track and go over the stile. Continue on the same heading over another field to a stile (with care) down onto a track which descends to the road.
Turn right to the pub, turn left to a T junction, then left to Farringdon Church for the change over.
Leg 13 Upper Farringdon Church to Alton Cricket Fields
From the Church, take the narrow footpath heading west for a short distance. Turn right at the T junction and follow the track to the A32. Bear right on a path parallel with the road until it meets a metalled lane.
Follow through Chawton Village to pass under the A31. Immediatley turn left up Mounters Lane, under a railway bridge and skirt around the Sports Centre.
Run along the northern side of the cricket field to a footpath sign at the far end. Split change over.
Leg 14 Alton Cricket Fields to Drury Lane, Bentworth – leg starts with a marshal run baton changeover
Follow footpath through the woods and up the hill. At the top turn left and follow southern boundary of wood to a yellow footpath marker. Go right for a short distance, then left and follow main trackway to a wooden fingerpost. Leave trackway and follow path up then down to road in Beech.
Caution crossing the road, follow stony track opposite up hill to the right. Bear right at the top of the hill, then immediately left on the track towards Hillside Farm. Within a few yards turn left where the footpath leaves the track.
Follow this footpath up hill to Wivelrod Road. Turn left, then first right on Tinkers Lane track. Take the footpath on the right on the second descent (opposite steps up to stile on left), follow this path to a stile on the left.
Cross the stile and run up the hill crossing two more stiles to the road. Cross the road with caution and take the footpath opposite to the Church. Go through the Church gate and around the left of the Church to a kissing gate at the rear of the cemetery.
Run across the field to the change over point which is to the right of the metal field gate.
Leg 15 Drury Lane, Bentworth to Spain Lane, Burkham
Run west on Drury Lane, over cross roads and follow Ashley Road until the finger post for a footpath to right. Follow the footpath down the right hand side of the hedge line, turn left at the bottom, then first right up hill to a wood.
Go diagonally left following the footpath sign across a planted field to a trackway. Turn right, then straight on at a cross tracks. Follow the track past a solar farm on your right to Bradley.
Take the road into the village, past the pond. Take the lane on the right, prior to de-restriction signs. Continue in the same direction turning left at the end into Spain Lane. The changover is a short way down the lane.
Leg 16 Spain Lane, Burkham to Ellisfield Church
Run west on Spain Lane to the T junction and take the bridleway straight over. Take the footpath on right at the end of the field down to Bagmore Lane. Cross the road with extreme caution as blind to drivers and continue up Kit Lane trackway to Bell Lane.
At the road go left and keep ahead to the T junction. Go slightly left and then immediately right onto an easy to miss footpath.
Follow the footpath which eventually skirts around the right hand edge of a field with small woods on your right hand side. The path goes sharp right and then shortly after bears diagonally left across the field. Cross a stile to end at the change over point by Ellisfield village hall.
Leg 17 Ellisfield Church to Cliddesden School
Run up the bridleway alongside the village hall which opens out to a wide track that climbs gradually inside a narrow copse. The path then narrows, still climbing, but carries on ahead. Eventually the path starts to fall gently and comes out of the copse. Run along the left hand edge of the field ignoring paths to the left and then the right.
The path then goes onto a wide grass area and about 3/4 way down this grass look out for an easy to miss footpath sign by a narrow path that goes diagonally right to come out on a wide track. If you miss the path keep to the end of the grass and turn right onto a wide track with a field on your left.
Keep along this track and when you pass through around a gate to a junction of tracks take the left hand fork on the track that bears left and then right up a very steep - but short - section of stony track. If you go under the bridge you have taken the wrong track!
At the top of the little hill turn left to run along the disused railway line - last seen in the film "Oh Mr Porter".
The track comes down to a tarmaced farm lane. Turn left and run to the end, climbing slightly. At the end of the tarmac turn right to ascend a steep stony track. This track undulates for about a kilometre to come out by a road junction.
Turn left and then left again to the school on the right hand side.
Leg 18 Cliddesden School to Cliddesden Village Hall (via Farleigh Church)
Take the track past the front of the School and follow it through the hedge lines to the top of the hill. Turn right on a stony track with the Church on your left.
Take the footpath on the right, which is opposite the stile to the Church. Follow the open track down to a building, turn right and then follow path on left around field boundaries to the village hall.
The leg (and race) ends here.
