Review: The Steyning Stinger 2025
- Jamie Hinks
- Mar 23
- 5 min read
Training for the South Downs Way 50 has given me the opportunity to undertake plenty of long training runs and making the decision to do most of them as part of organised races was a brilliant one.
The latest training race that I took part in was the Steyning Stinger. Taking place in the West Sussex village of Steyning just north of Brighton, this race is not for the faint hearted. It is run every March and has started to get a name for itself in running circles thanks to its 3,000 feet (over 900 metres) of elevation and usual challenging weather. This year the sun was shining and we were treated to a brilliant day.
Steyning Stinger 2025 Stats
Distance | 26.4 miles / 12km |
Date | Sunday, 9th March 2025 |
Start Time | 7:30am |
Location | Steyning, West Sussex |
Entry Fee | £43 |
Course Profile | Trails |
Elevation Gain | 2,995ft / 912m |
Website |
Before the Start
Getting to the Stinger was made easy by the multiple scorpion themed signs that direct you to where to park. The signs took us on a winding route through a housing estate, but the clear signage meant it was a doddle finding the car park. We parked up a mere 2-3 minute walk from the registration area and it was free.
The registration area was inside the local school canteen and there was ample room to get sorted pre-race. If you registered early enough, you were sent your number through the post. Otherwise you picked it up from the helpful volunteers inside the school. There was also a bag drop and plenty of toilets available.
In the same area, there was a regular briefing for those starting the race. This was repeated every few minutes and slightly different for each of the three distances (marathon, 30km and half marathon).
We were intending to start at the earliest available time, which was 7:30am for the marathon, and therefore headed off to the start line at around 7:20am.
The Race
The starting procedure for the Steyning Stinger was different to most races I’ve experienced in that you were able to start at any time during a 30-minute window. The organisers explained that this staggered start was designed so that the slowest runners set off at 7:30am with the faster ones going off closer to the cut off at 07:59am. We didn’t get the memo on this, so set off at 7:30am regardless, as did many others.
Whilst the entire course was tough, the first two miles eased you in gently with a gradual climb followed by a steep up and down to finish off the first section. This was also the only part of the course where there was a significantly muddy portion to navigate. The remainder of the course was completely dry.
The first of four steep climbs, known affectionately as stings, starts after you pass through the village of Washington and just before you join the South Downs Way. The views here, as with much of the course, are absolutely incredible and make the challenge of the uphills that bit more bearable.
After a steep downhill, the second sting comes after you cross back over the A24 main road and there’s an aid station at the bottom to allow you a sip of water before starting the climb.
The aid stations were all manned by friendly volunteers with a small amount of supplies but most importantly plenty of water.
Some of the stings were power hike territory whereas this one was steady enough to allow run-walking. If we were racing it, then running would have been fine, however, given that it was 1.5 miles in distance, running it would have cost us later on in the race.
The top of the second sting brought you up to Chactonbury Ring and was followed by a sustained period of steady downhill terrain to the other nearby hill fort at Cissbury Ring. Even though there are plenty of places where you could go wrong, the signage put out by the organisers was brilliant throughout and one of the best examples I’ve seen in a trail race.
After a loop round Cissbury Ring that included a steep climb, the course took a 90-degree turn and headed towards the north of Lancing over around two miles of undulating terrain. Even this part includes steep sharp climbs and, as it was getting closer to midday, rehydrating at the aid stations was essential.
The course then does a loop across farm fields before heading towards the final sting that takes you up to Steyning Bowl. With 22 miles in the legs and the midday sun beating down, this climb felt the hardest of the lot and even power hiking was a hard effort.
After getting to the top, the course followed part of the South Downs Way before a very steep descent into Steyning (called Kamikaze Hill on Strava) that had me putting the brakes on to prevent stumbling over. You then do a quick loop of a field to get the distance close to the marathon before the final stretch towards the line.
I ran this with two friends and we crossed the line together positions 31-33 with a time of 04:13:36, which for a training run over trails was a very decent effort.
The fun doesn’t end there either. At the school where the race started, the organisers had laid on a free breakfast for all runners and it was a welcome sight after a hard morning’s running.
After the event, the organisers provided all the photos free of charge and this was a nice touch to what was a great day out.
My Gear
Shoes | Salomon Ultra Glide 3 |
Watch | Garmin Forerunner 965 |
Sunglasses | Sungod Ultras |
Top | Soar Trail Top |
Shorts | Janji Men's 8" Trail Half Tight |
Vest | Ultimate Direction Adventure Vest 6.0 |
Buff | Buff Original Ecostretch Neckwear |
Gloves | Ultimate Direction Flip Gloves |
Hat 1 | 2XU Run Cap |
Hat 2 | The North Face Cypress Bucket Hat |
Socks | Injinji Ultra Run Crew Socks |
I ended up swapping out hats halfway through this one due to the heat as the bucket hat provided additional protection for my neck and ears.
Fuelling Strategy
It was a very early start for this one as I was out of the house by 6:00am and therefore opted for granola, greek yoghurt and fruit instead if porridge.
This was a good run to test out a new fuelling strategy so I opted to take rice balls out with me for the first time. I got the recipe for these from Jason Koop's Training Essentials for Ultramarathon book and found them a great alternative to gels. The consistency is that of a thin rice pudding and they actually created less mess than gels.
In addition to that, I consumed 1 x Styrkr Mix90 in 500ml of water each hour to get myself to approximately 110g of carbohydrates per hour.
Given the heat, I once again used Precision Hydration Electrolyte Capsules (250mg sodium) and had one tablet every 90 minutes, which seemed to deal with
Summary
Smaller marathons are fast becoming one of my favourite race types and this one was no exception. Everything from the pre-race comms and start line directions to the on-course markings and breakfast at the end make this a race I’d recommend to anyone looking for a challenge.
The fact it has three different distances makes it a bit more inclusive than a straight up marathon and means even more people can experience this gem of a race.
Comments