THE BLACKDOWN BEAST 2020
16 mile or 10 mile social run MT.
Saturday, 25th January 2020
Now full!
Details of event and procedure for swaps will be emailed to all entries.
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Raising money
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Final instructions
Please download the maps and instructions before coming Maps - Leg 1, Leg 2, Leg 3, Leg 4 & written instructions gpx file of route Venue: HIGHFIELD SPORT AND SOCIAL CLUB, Culm Way, Dunkeswell EX14 4JP Map of Start Location here 
Elevation profile of 16 mile route
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Photos of 2019 are also on:
Beast Facebook Page
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The Blackdown Beast is a very social, self-navigated run. Runners follow a picturesque cross country route of 7.6 miles on seldom used footpaths to Smeatharpe. Here they enjoy a hot pasty and mulled cider at Smeatharpe Village Hall as a reward for their hard work. The next leg of the run is 2.8 miles on lanes and country paths which drops down to the village of Upottery and the Sidmouth Arms which will provide more sustenance to the runners. The 10 mile option finishes here. Minibus transport will be provided to take the 10 milers back to Dunkeswell, BUT please select the 10 mile option on the entry from. The 16 milers then take the road to Rawridge. Here they will turn on to the country, cross the river Otter and climb to the top of the ridge to the viewpoint above Luppitt for a spectacular panorama of the surrounding countryside before running the remainder of the 3.3 miles to the Luppitt Inn for another refreshment stop. The last 2.7 mile leg of the day takes you across country over Luppitt Common back to Dunkeswell for a well earned drink and food.
Comments on 2019 Beast
Rob S. Many thanks for organising such an enjoyable event! Chatted to quite a few people I've never met and everyone seemed friendly.
Julie Morris Today I ran the Blackdown Beast with 5 of the lovely WOTR ladies. I’m proud of them every day; but today the camaraderie and support they showed each other was phenomenal. Running isn’t always about how fast you can reach the finish lines. It’s way bigger than that and today demonstrated it perfectly. The mud was knee high in places and the puddles were lots of fun. The mess on my kitchen floor is something else! And I should add, the support crew along the way was pretty awesome too!
Steve Small and Sal Curtis The Blackdown Beast 16 miles of mud and hills. But there was pasties and mulled cider to help along the way.
Terry Bewes Blackdown Beast with lovely scenery, lovely people and lovely food (and beers for some)
Paul Barnes Blackdown Beast, 16 miles of delightful mud and hills. Tough work but great fun. Decent weather and well organised. Social run so no official timing and numbers but some nice check points including a free pasty at the first one. Leg two on a belly full of pasty was interesting. Got round in about 3:35:00 including the pasty stop so happy with that.
Karen Hayes The Blackdown Beast today - and what a beasty, muddy & wet course!! Thanks for all the support and laughter from the WOTR girls - amazing bunch of lovely runners.
Stuart Lockyer Apologies for those that have already seen this on Bradworthy Runners FB or my FB page but for those that have not a little update on our outing today. Stuart and Paul's Blackdown Beast selfie gallery. 16 miles of mud, sweat and hills today!! Fab run in the lovely countryside around Honiton with 250 other crazy folks. Leg held up which was cool and the rain held off. Great value at just £13 for 16 miles making it one of the cheapest runs out there. Just a social run so no official timing or bling but checkpoints with drinks and a pasty at the first checkpoint at 7.5 miles which made the rest of the 16 a bit interesting!! We managed to lug our pasty laden bodies around in about 3h:35m which was reasonable going given the terrain and a decent stop at checkpoint one. Great training run for things to come later in the spring. (There is a 10 mile option for anyone who fancies it next year as well).
Dawn Teed Blackdown Beast 7.45 miles of mud rewarded with a pasty and mulled cider before running another 8.7 miles almost as muddy and including a nasty hill at Luppitt, this time rewarded with a coke and plate of chips. Lovely company, lovely run and lovely weather!
Jim Millard Really enjoyed it. I'm new to Devon and was out for a run in the blackdowns (we were away camping) and bumped into some guys running the beauty. Here I am 6 months later doing the beast. I really like the low key runs, no medal, no results, no pressure. Makes a nice change In my opinion. I'll definitely be entering the beauty too.
Sarah Henderson Thanks for such a well organised event and for a route which incorporates everything a lover of outdoors trail running could ask for - scenery, camaraderie, mud, more mud, fields, woods, hills and yet more mud! As a runner who has run for a fair few years now but relatively new to self navigation/trail running and the local area, the event was a perfect introduction to all the 'best bits' of trail running and Devon. I already look forward to the 2020 event!
Rob S. Many thanks for organising such an enjoyable event! Chatted to quite a few people I've never met and everyone seemed friendly.
Julie Morris Today I ran the Blackdown Beast with 5 of the lovely WOTR ladies. I’m proud of them every day; but today the camaraderie and support they showed each other was phenomenal. Running isn’t always about how fast you can reach the finish lines. It’s way bigger than that and today demonstrated it perfectly. The mud was knee high in places and the puddles were lots of fun. The mess on my kitchen floor is something else! And I should add, the support crew along the way was pretty awesome too!
Steve Small and Sal Curtis The Blackdown Beast 16 miles of mud and hills. But there was pasties and mulled cider to help along the way.
Terry Bewes Blackdown Beast with lovely scenery, lovely people and lovely food (and beers for some)
Paul Barnes Blackdown Beast, 16 miles of delightful mud and hills. Tough work but great fun. Decent weather and well organised. Social run so no official timing and numbers but some nice check points including a free pasty at the first one. Leg two on a belly full of pasty was interesting. Got round in about 3:35:00 including the pasty stop so happy with that.
Karen Hayes The Blackdown Beast today - and what a beasty, muddy & wet course!! Thanks for all the support and laughter from the WOTR girls - amazing bunch of lovely runners.
Stuart Lockyer Apologies for those that have already seen this on Bradworthy Runners FB or my FB page but for those that have not a little update on our outing today. Stuart and Paul's Blackdown Beast selfie gallery. 16 miles of mud, sweat and hills today!! Fab run in the lovely countryside around Honiton with 250 other crazy folks. Leg held up which was cool and the rain held off. Great value at just £13 for 16 miles making it one of the cheapest runs out there. Just a social run so no official timing or bling but checkpoints with drinks and a pasty at the first checkpoint at 7.5 miles which made the rest of the 16 a bit interesting!! We managed to lug our pasty laden bodies around in about 3h:35m which was reasonable going given the terrain and a decent stop at checkpoint one. Great training run for things to come later in the spring. (There is a 10 mile option for anyone who fancies it next year as well).
Dawn Teed Blackdown Beast 7.45 miles of mud rewarded with a pasty and mulled cider before running another 8.7 miles almost as muddy and including a nasty hill at Luppitt, this time rewarded with a coke and plate of chips. Lovely company, lovely run and lovely weather!
Jim Millard Really enjoyed it. I'm new to Devon and was out for a run in the blackdowns (we were away camping) and bumped into some guys running the beauty. Here I am 6 months later doing the beast. I really like the low key runs, no medal, no results, no pressure. Makes a nice change In my opinion. I'll definitely be entering the beauty too.
Sarah Henderson Thanks for such a well organised event and for a route which incorporates everything a lover of outdoors trail running could ask for - scenery, camaraderie, mud, more mud, fields, woods, hills and yet more mud! As a runner who has run for a fair few years now but relatively new to self navigation/trail running and the local area, the event was a perfect introduction to all the 'best bits' of trail running and Devon. I already look forward to the 2020 event!