More than 10,000 runners took part in the Brighton Marathon and BM10K today (Sunday 2 April) and thousands more lined the streets to watch.
The weekend was organised by London Marathon Events for the first time, having taken over late last year when Grounded Events went bust.
And the new organisers set up a new finish line for the marathon on Hove Lawns, having redrawn the route.
The official starters, Alfie Ordinary and Joe Black, Brighton residents and stars of RuPaul’s Drag Race, sent the runners on their way at 9.45am in Preston Park.
By 4pm more than 7,000 people had finished the 26.2-mile Brighton Marathon, from competitive runners to the thousands raising money for more than 130 charities.
The BM10K was the first event of the day – also held on a new course – starting and finishing on Hove Lawns. A total of 2,744 people finished the event.
The first person across the line in the 2023 Brighton Marathon was 22-year-old Marshall Smith from Ashford AC, making his marathon debut. He finished more than 12 minutes ahead of the field in a time of 2:24:07.
He said: “When I started thinking about doing my first marathon, I decided it had to be in Brighton and I’m glad I made that decision.
“The crowd was absolutely electric all the way around the course and they really got me through. In fact, it seemed the further into the race I got, the louder the cheers got. It was everything I thought the Brighton Marathon would be and more.”
The first female finisher was Helen Reid, who finished in 2:55:11. She said: “It was a total surprise. I had a little injury coming into today so I was not expecting this. It was a great event with fantastic support.”
Jack Kavanagh was the first person to cross the new finish line at Hove Lawns as the winner of the BM10K in a personal best time of 31:03.
He said that the result came as a big surprise to him, adding: “I would have taken a top 10 finish today.
“My personal best before today was 33:42 and I didn’t know that time was in me. But it’s a course that’s definitely suited for running personal bests. It’s a great event with great views and great organisation.”
The first female finisher was Joelle Cortis, who travelled all the way from Malta to take part, and finished in a time of 35:43.
She said: “It was definitely a bit colder here today than it is in Malta and my toes were freezing when I stood on the start line.
“But I came here to the BM10K because it is a fast flat course with good conditions to run. I also love coming to the UK so to win makes me very happy.”
Yesterday more than 1,000 youngsters took part in the Mini Mile in Preston Park, with the mayor of Brighton and Hove Lizzie Deane sending the young runners on their way.
Event director Hugh Brasher said: “When London Marathon Events took on the Brighton Marathon Weekend, we knew it was a special set of events but today has surpassed our expectations.
“The Brighton Marathon and BM10K are a true celebration of activity and this incredible city of Brighton and Hove.
“To see so many people on the streets and at our new finish area at Hove Lawns, cheering on thousands of participants throughout the day, many of them raising crucial funds for charities, has been a special experience.
“We are already looking forward to how we can build on this and make the Brighton Marathon Weekend even more spectacular in future years.”
For the full results from the 2023 Brighton Marathon and BM10K, click here.
Entries are now open for the 2024 Brighton Marathon and BM10K which are scheduled to take place on Sunday 7 April 2024. The Early Bird price for the Brighton Marathon is £59.99 and the BM10K price is £35.
For more information and to enter, click here.
The Brighton Marathon is such a terrific event, and the new organisers did a great job this year.
My own running days are over but it’s so infectious to watch the runners, fast or slow, and to feed off their achievements and their smiling faces.
The course had changed this year and that meant a bit of confusion about how to get around the city, or where best to watch the race from. The course finished on Hove Lawns and that worked well, but the seafront there was completely packed. A chilly morning turned into a very sunny and almost-warm afternoon, and that helped everyone make a day out of it.
I’m guessing the organisers may just have to tweak a few things next year, because the western section of the course stayed closed off a lot later than was originally planned. For example, at 5pm, Church road was still closed off to traffic, and that meant the buses were all diverted for longer than advertised. (I had to walk home, having already walked about 5miles to follow the race at different points.)
The other surprise were that there were no toilets to use on Hove seafront anywhere near the race finishing area.
The public toilets at the bottom of Grand Avenue are being re-furbished, but they are not yet open, even though this is Easter Week. The builders have been in there for months and you’d have thought the council would have got the loos open in time for this event, or at least arranged for some festival portaloos.
New Church Road was always scheduled to be closed until 6pm, I don’t know if the bus co had been told that/ taken notice.
There were Portaloos between Hove Lawns and the road by the Event Food village, although if you were on the seafront you wouldn’t have been able to see them or get to them without going to the Peace Statue and going back.
Yes, you’d have thought refurb for those loos would have been a week or 2 max work, there was someone working in there on Sun aft so maybe they’re under pressure to get them done by Easter.
Yes, in fairness to the guys refurbishing the Grand Avenue seafront loos, they were still working there after 6pm this evening. It was nearer 7pm when I went past on my walk and I think they were just packing up.
But yesterday, when the Marathon area was really crowded, I saw parents resorting to taking their kids onto the beach for a pee. The competitors toilets were within the restricted access area.
I may have misunderstood the Church road closure thing, but the new Marathon route and the later start time of 9.45am, meant that stragglers were still on the Church road section of the course, late in the day.
Heading out of town west, via public transport, was impossible for most people, after the event seemed to be over. The few buses there were, were re-directed along Blatchington and Portland road.
The incorrect bus phone apps weren’t helping either, so I guess the bus companies weren’t sure what was going on. The seafront 700 service, run by Stagecoach, cancelled a lot of their buses at the last minute.
I walked home partly along Church road, and didn’t actually see any late runners.
It’s a great event, and I’m sure they’ll sort these minor details out for next year.