Training plan · Hampshire
Hampshire Hilly Hundred training plan 2027
Sunday 16 May 2027, Sparsholt College, near Winchester. 164.1 km with 1,933 m of climbing.
In short
Give yourself 12 to 16 weeks for the Hampshire Hilly Hundred on Sunday 16 May 2027. The long route is 102 miles (164.1 km) from Sparsholt College near Winchester with 1,933 m of climbing, in short, steep climbs over the chalk downs such as Beacon Hill, Watership Down and Windmill Hill rather than long ones. The day turns on pacing a long run of short efforts and on fuel, because in 2026 the long route had one feed station, at East Stratton, which it passed twice. On WattPlan's model of the course, a rider with an FTP of 230 watts weighing 75 kg rides it in about 5 h 59 min, and takes 6:44 on Watership Down at about 197 watts.
The Hampshire Hilly Hundred at a glance
| Date | Sunday 16 May 2027source |
|---|---|
| Start and finish | Sparsholt College, near Winchestersource |
| Distance (102 miles) | 164.1 km (102 miles), 1,933 m of climbingsource |
| Distance (68 miles) | 109.5 km (68 miles), 1,272 m of climbingsource |
| Roads | Open roads, signed with small yellow arrows and marshalled. Riders follow the Highway Code, ride no more than two abreast, and no support cars may drive the course.source |
| Start | Registration from 07:00. The 102-mile route starts between 07:30 and 08:30, the 68-mile between 08:15 and 09:00.source |
| Cut-off (2026 pack) | The 102-mile route leaves the 68-mile course at 42 miles. That split closed at 13:00, and later riders finished on the 68-mile route.source |
| Finish | The course closes at 16:30.source |
| Feed station (2026 pack) | East Stratton Village Hall, open 09:30 to 15:00. The 102-mile route passes it twice, at about 41 and 74 miles.source |
| Entry for 2027 | Open now. It has sold out for the past two years, and entering with four others earns a group discount.source |
| Parking | Free at Sparsholt College. Drive in from Stockbridge Road only, not through the village.source |
The course and its climbs
Profile from WattPlan's model of the course (162.1 km routed over OpenStreetMap roads with SRTM heights, © OpenStreetMap contributors). The organiser's figures are in the table above, and their route is the one that counts on the day.
Your power and time on each climb
Enter your FTP and weight and WattPlan's route model rides the course for you the way a long day is best ridden: harder on the climbs, where a watt buys the most speed, and easier on the flat, at an effort you can hold to the finish. The figures below are for 230 W and 75 kg until you do.
| Climb | Summit (km) | Length | Average | Steepest | Your power | Your time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Watership Downsource1.4 km at 6.5%, up to 14.5%, top at km 97 | 97 | 1.4 km | 6.5% | 14.5% | 197 W | 6:44 |
Eat at about km 22, 41, 62, 82, 101, 122, 143. Riding something else? The free pacing calculator does this for any route from its GPX. In the app, Route analysis adds your own fade over a long day, the wind on the day and a pacing file for your bike computer.
How long to train for the Hampshire Hilly Hundred
Twelve to sixteen weeks of structured training suits most riders for the 102-mile route, which means starting between late January and late February for 16 May. Much of that falls in winter, so plan indoor sessions for the wet and icy weeks. The 68-mile route needs about ten.
WattPlan builds the weeks from today to 16 May around the days you can ride, runs the indoor sessions on a smart trainer in the app, and adjusts the plan when a week goes wrong.
Training for Beacon Hill, Watership Down and Windmill Hill
None of the climbs is long, but they keep coming. Watership Down, climbed from Sydmonton in the second half, is 1.4 km at 6.5% with a steepest 100 metres of 14.5%, and the organiser names Beacon Hill and Windmill Hill among the others. That makes it a day of hard efforts of a few minutes each, repeated, rather than one long climb.
Train for that with sets of three to five minute efforts around threshold once a week, and a weekly hilly ride where you climb each hill at a steady, hard effort and recover on the way down. Ride the steepest hills near you seated, to build the strength for ramps of up to 14.5%.
One feed station, passed twice
On the 2026 route the feed station was East Stratton Village Hall, which the long route reached at about 41 miles and again at about 74, open from 09:30 to 15:00. That leaves 41 miles from the start to the first visit and 28 from the second to the finish, so arrive with two full bottles and carry plenty of food.
Eat every 45 minutes from the start, around 60 to 90 grams of carbohydrate an hour, and top up at East Stratton rather than catch up there.
The 13:00 split and the 16:30 finish
The long route leaves the 68-mile course at 42 miles, and in 2026 that split closed at 13:00, sending later riders onto the shorter route. The 102-mile start runs from 07:30 to 08:30 and the course closes at 16:30, so the full distance has to fit into eight or nine hours, stops included.
Ride hilly training rides of five hours or more to learn the pace, and keep your stops short on the day. The calculator above shows WattPlan's estimate of your riding time, paced harder on the climbs and easier on the flat.
Weather in May
The Met Office station at Middle Wallop, west of Stockbridge, averages a high of 17.2 °C and a low of 7.7 °C in May, with about 50 mm of rain over nine days. The roads are open to traffic, so ride to the Highway Code, no more than two abreast, and carry tubes, a pump and a phone.
Your plan to 16 May
WattPlan builds the weeks from today to Sunday 16 May 2027 around the days you can ride, and eases off before the day. Take a rider with 230 W of FTP who rides 3 to 5 hours a week now and has an hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays and up to 5 hours on Saturdays: a 16-week plan starting Monday 25 January 2027 has 6 weeks of base, 6 of build, 3 of peak and 1 of taper. It opens at 4 hours a week and builds to 9.5, with a longest ride of 5 hours. Pick your own days below to see yours.
Free to start, and the Hampshire Hilly Hundred is filled in for you. Premium adds the whole plan to race day and adjusts it when you miss a session or ride harder than planned.
Questions riders ask
How long should I train for the Hampshire Hilly Hundred?
Twelve to sixteen weeks suits most riders for the 102-mile route, so start structured training between late January and late February for Sunday 16 May 2027. The 68-mile route needs about ten.
How hard is the Hampshire Hilly Hundred?
The organiser calls it one of the hardest sportives on its calendar. The long route is 102 miles with 1,933 m of climbing, over short, steep chalk hills such as Beacon Hill, Watership Down and Windmill Hill. Watership Down climbs 1.4 km at 6.5%, with a steepest 100 metres of 14.5%. The 68-mile route climbs 1,272 m.
Is the Hampshire Hilly Hundred on closed roads?
No. It runs on open roads, signed with small yellow arrows and marshalled, and riders follow the Highway Code and ride no more than two abreast.
What time does the Hampshire Hilly Hundred finish?
The course closes at 16:30. The 102-mile route starts between 07:30 and 08:30 and the 68-mile between 08:15 and 09:00, and in 2026 the split onto the long route closed at 13:00.
When can I enter the Hampshire Hilly Hundred 2027?
Entries are open now, and the organiser advises entering early because it has sold out for the past two years. Entering with four others earns a group discount.
Where does the Hampshire Hilly Hundred start?
At Sparsholt College, Westley Lane, near Winchester, with free parking. Drive in from Stockbridge Road only, not through Sparsholt village.
More event training plans
Sources
- Hampshire Hilly Hundred, official site
- Hampshire Hilly Hundred course maps
- Hampshire Hilly Hundred event pack (2026)
- Met Office, Middle Wallop climate averages
- Watership Down
WattPlan is not connected with the Hampshire Hilly Hundred or its organiser. We've done our best to make sure everything here is accurate, from the details the organiser had published when we checked on Thursday 8 October 2026, and we'll update this page as more details come out. Confirm dates, routes and rules on the official site. Times and power figures come from a physics model and are estimates, not predictions of your result.