Salomon Serpent Trail

Just off a Surrey high street, the trail begins immediately: within a mile you are into woodland, then climbing to the highest point in the South Downs National Park. Salomon Serpent Trail is a long-distance trail event with genuine countryside character, running through some "breath taking countryside in the South East" and then "snaking through glades, copse, fields and heathland" across the Wealden Greensand Hills. Expect a course that changes rhythm rather than just grinding on: early climbing, wooded sections, open fields and heath, then the southern half with smaller hills and lower-level sandy trails and paths. There are road links between sections, so it is not all wild singletrack, but it still feels like a day out on a real trail. The field includes both runners and walkers, and the setup leans toward moving "fast and light as possible" rather than fussing around at every turn.