South Downs Way 50km 2025 Mens Preview

The 2025 South Downs Way 100 and 50km are right around the corner and the inaugural edition of the 50km has attracted a stellar field for this first outing. As part of the World Trail Majors - Short Series, we've got both international and domestic atheltes vying to take home maximum points and be in the running for the overall standings.

In the build up race Weekend we will be previewing the leading contenders for the top spots in four separate posts. We have already previewed the womens and mens SDW100 fields, below is our SDW50km Mens Preview.

You can see full details of the Elite SDW50km Womens Field here.

You can see full details of the Elite SDW100 Womens Field here.

You can see full details of the Elite SDW100 Mens Field here.

Stay tuned to the website and our YouTube channel in the lead up for race day for links to the live broadcast, tracking and results:

Robbie Simpson (ITRA Rank: 899): Robbie is an extraordinary athlete both in terms of his ability and achievements but perhaps more so, his versatility. His road marathon background is extensive, with a Commonwealth Games Bronze medal to his name from Australia 2018 and a PB of 2:14 set at London in 2019. He's also run in a string of Commonwealth, European and World Mountain Running Championships with a best of second in the European Seniors and Bronze at the Worlds in 2015. His streak of results at Sierre Zinal is absolutely incredible with over a dozen finishes, coming away with second, three times. He turned to ultras in 2019. Since then he has twice finished on the podium at OCC, won Ultra Trail Cape Town 55km twice (one of our other World Trail Majors Series events) and set lots of course records back in Scotland where he originates from. In February he was second at the Tarawera 50km by UTMB.

Robbie Simpson

Tiago Vieira (ITRA Rank: 881): Portuguese athlete who is off to quite the sensational start to 2025 already. He was third at the Transgrancanaria Marathon in February and second at the MIUT 60km in May - both World Trail Majors events which puts him top of the Short Series rankings so far this year by some margin. He's also finished 7th at Tenerife Blue Trail Half Marathon and won two other separate 50km races. A specialist over distances ranging from 20km to 60km, Tiago has also won scores of other events within that range - but notably the Grand Raid Pyrenees Marathon twice.

Eduard Hernandez (ITRA Rank: 857): Currently in third place on the World Trail Majors - Short Series Rankings for 2025. Eduard's two counting races so far in 2025 were Hong Kong 100 - 57km where he was eighth and the TransGranCanaria Marathon where he was eleventh. Has lots of high level finishes at shorter trail races to his name including wins at Tenerife BlueTrail 23km and MIUT 16km, but has done particularly well in the mountains.

Eduard Hernandez (Photo c/o HK100km)

Peter Le Grice:  Road runner with an incredible pedigree. Winner of the 2019 Brighton Marathon, his PB over the distance is 2:14 set at Malaga last year. In 2024 he also ran 30:05 for fifth at the London Vitality 10,000. This winter, he ran home 35th at English Nationals XC at Parliament Hil. Other PBs include 64 minutes for the half, and 29:32 for 10km.

Peter Le Grice (Photo c/o Malaga Marathon)

Ry Webb (ITRA Rank: 794): Centurion Coach, Ultra Team runner and La Sportiva athlete Ry, has had some fantastic results over the years both on home soil and overseas. In the UK - Ry is a past winner of the North Downs Way 50 where he held the course record for a time. He is the Winter Downs 200 Course Record Holder and past winner of Lakes in a Day. He finished on the podium of all four Centurion 50 mile events in 2017 on his way to second place in the Grand Slam. On the track he set a 100 mile PB of 13:24 at our Track 100. Internationally some of his best results include fourth at Leadville 100, eighth at Lavaredo 80km in 2024, third at the Mourne Sky Ultra 50km and ninth at Kullamannen 100 mile.

Ry Webb

Jack Oates (ITRA Rank: 749): Ben Nevis Sky Ultra Champion in 2022, a year in which he also finished fourteenth at Transvulcania. In 2023, Jack was ninth at Tarawera 50km and thirteenth at UTS 50km. This year he has already scored a top ten finish at Istria 100 by UTMB - 69km and was fifth at the Arc 25 in January.

Jack Oates (Photo c/o carelduplessis photography /xterra uk)

Charlie Harpur: Centurion Ultra Team Runner - Charlie has had a break from racing over the last few years as he started a wonderful family. Prior to that his highest ITRA ranked race was 859 from his third place finish at UltraVasan in 2019. He was previously South Downs Way 100 Champion in a time of 15:01. Winner of the 2021 Wendover Woods 50 and past winner of the Beacons Ultra. It is great to see him back in 2025 running as well as ever, having already taken the win at the Steyning Stinger Half Marathon in March on similar ground. 

Charlie Harpur