The 2026 South Downs Way 50km is upon us and we are delighted to welcome another incredible bunch of people to the race. As part of the World Trail Majors Series - with the 50km here acting as the Short Distance event, the inaugural year in 2025 got us off to an incredible start and we are hoping for more of the same here in year two.
In the build up to South Downs Way 100 & 50km Race Weekend we will be previewing the leading contenders for the top spots in four separate posts. This post focuses on the Elite Womens field for the SDW50km. The full entrants list can be found here.
Stay tuned to our instagram channel, the homepage of the website and the podcast for more content pre, during and post race.
The 50km attracts a raft of runners from the trail and mountain scene, but with no qualification standards/ open to all, a great number of faster road runners too.
Nuria Gil Clapera - Asics (ITRA Rank: 796): The Spanish runner was the TransGranCanaria Marathon champion in 2023. And finished on the podium at OCC in 2022. Having a baby daughter in 2025, she has returned post-partum with great success, finishing second at the Arc 25 in January and then second at TGC Marathon in March. This will be her second stop on the WTM circuit.
Vanessa Cabo Machado (ITRA Rank: 686): Eighth at TransGranCanaria Marathon in March. Seventh at Tenerife Blue Trail in 2025 and fifth at Transvulcania Marathon last year also.
Rebecca Bunting - Hoka (ITRA Rank: 622): marathon PB of 2:41 from London in 2024. This year she has already run 78 minutes for the Half in Kew. Has some trail experience with at least two 50km's under her belt. In 2022 she was fifth in the European 50km Championships running for GB. Had outright wins at Exmoor Coastal Trail marathon and South Devon Trail marathons in 2021/2022.
Nicole Funnell (ITRA Rank: 660): Third at the SDW100 last year in 16:58. The fourth fastest all time performance. Later that summer, Nicole went on to finish fourth at Lakeland 50. In April, Nicole finished second at the British 100km Champs representing England.
Nicole Funnell
Karla Borland (ITRA Rank: 636): Karla is fresh off of the back of a win at the Thames Path 100 in May. Last year she was fourth at the SDW100, which followed a win at the Hundred Hills 50km. She is a past International having competed for Northern Ireland over the 100km distance.
Karla Borland
In the Hunt for Top Ten:
Natalie Bunce: (2:57 at Manchester Marathon)
Ally Whitlock (Almost 20 Top Ten Finishes at Centurion Events)
Sophie Howard (13th Arc of Attrition 2026)
Laura Watts (2024 Winter Downs 100 Champion)
Jo Payze (8th HH50km 2025)
