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Lewes Athletic Club’s Sarah Webster Smashes Course Record at South Downs Way 100
World record holder delivers historic performance to become fastest British woman ever over a 100-mile trail race
Lewes Athletic Club’s Sarah Webster produced a remarkable performance at the 2026 Centurion South Downs Way 100, breaking the women’s course record and setting the fastest women’s 100-mile trail time in British history.
Taking place over the weekend of 13th-14th June, the South Downs Way 100 is one of the UK’s premier ultramarathons. The continuous 100-mile (161km) point-to-point race follows the South Downs Way National Trail from just outside Winchester to Eastbourne. It features approximately 12,700 feet (3,800 metres) of elevation gain across a highly runnable but relentlessly demanding course.
Competing in warm conditions that made running far from ideal. Yet Sarah Webster demonstrated her world-class credentials by finishing sixth overall and winning both the women’s race and the female veteran 40 category.
Her outstanding time of 14 hours, 27 minutes and 34 seconds eclipsed the previous women’s course record, held by Lucy Gossage, by more than two hours. Not only that, but Sarah also recorded the fastest women’s 100-mile trail performance ever achieved by a British athlete.
The achievement marks another milestone in the career of the Lewes Athletic Club member, who already holds the World 24-Hour Record and the European 100km Record.
Sarah Webster’s success was supported by a dedicated team from Lewes Athletic Club. Pacers are permitted from the Kithurst Hill checkpoint, approximately halfway through the race, and Sarah was accompanied during the second half by fellow club members George Stewart, Flaminia Gold and Ellen Brookes. Dominic Osman-Allu provided crucial crew support throughout the event, helping Sarah maintain her record-breaking pace across the South Downs.
Lewes Athletic Club also congratulates Andrew Kemp (MV50) who successfully completed the demanding ultramarathon in 22:27:03.
Lewes Athletic Club Chair Philip Westbury said: “Sarah’s performance was truly exceptional. To break an established course record by more than two hours is extraordinary. Beyond that, setting the fastest women’s 100-mile trail time in British history highlights just how significant this achievement is. We are immensely proud of Sarah and our members who supported her and all who took on the challenge of the South Downs Way 100.”
Want to Improve Your Running Performance with Lewes AC?
Lewes AC offers various training sessions to help boost your performance at road and trail running events:
- Strength and Conditioning: Join our coaches on Monday nights to improve core strength and stability. Sign up here.
- Track Sessions: Fine-tune your technique, pacing, and endurance on with distance based track sessions Thursday evenings, or time based track sessions on Saturday mornings. Sign up here.