Brighton Marathon - Race Reviews

It was hot humid day on Sunday 13 September 2021. Plenty of fluids at the Water Station (NB They did not ran out of Water). The Spectators went crazy and wild. It was such a Great atmosphere. I was running okay then at about mile 21 I somehow tripped up landed straight onto my face which took majority of the impact. (My worst fall so far) I could not get up because I fell so hard and was shock but about 3 kind young Men helped me up. I was was not the same Runner after that terrible fall but managed to complete the race with blood streaming down my swollen, painful face straight onto my running vest and my body, which caused me to be very thirsty. The Brighton Medics saw me and took me into their centre and cleaned up the blood and glued up my split and painful lips. I was advised to go to the hospital which I reluctantly did. I end up being admitted overnight in hospital. I'm home now with bulging lips just like Bart Simpson. Apparently Brighton Marathon Runners ran an extra 1/3 of mile extra this year. I and other Runners notices the miles went out sync starting from mile 10. After saying that I did noticed vast improvements in Brighton Marathon organisation. But we still had to pick up our numbers Friday or Saturday before the race!

I came from the US to run this race and visit friends who live in Hove. They picked up my race packet, so I can't really comment on the event village pre-race day. The shirt is nice, but ran VERY small. I thought it was just me, but enough people had an issue that the organizers did reach out and offer to send us properly fitting shirts after the event. Time will tell if they show up or not. Organization: my friend dropped me off very early to avoid street closures (he lives on the course). It was a cool, cloudy and breezy morning. The start area was very well organized and marked. I and a few other early arrivals huddled inside the women's changing tent to keep warm. From inside we could hear the announcements and music. Once it was closer to start time I went out, did the line for the bathroom which moved quickly. The race start was well organized in different colored waves which were enforced. Start went off on time. There were plenty of water stops and gel stations along the course in addition to the spectators handing out gummy candy. At the finish I was quickly handed my medal and goody bag and ushered into the race village to meet up with friends. I was too tired and just wanted to get out of there and take a shower, but the finish area was well arranged. Lots of charity runners for this race and each group had a tent for their runners in addition to other food vendors and people selling race gear, etc. Course: the course had a LOT of out and back sections, some of them quite long. There also is a very industrial section at the end which can be a bit depressing. However, the rest runs along the beautiful coastline or through some very supportive neighborhoods. People here LOVE this race! We had cloudy weather and at the end, at least for me and I was a SLOW run/walker, it poured down rain with some strong wind for about 5-10 mins. If it was a sunny or warm day, this course would be deadly as there is ZERO and I mean ZERO shade. You run at least half of it or more on the road that lines the coast, so beach on one side and dunes on the other. No trees. Would I do it again? Yes, I was very, very undertrained and had a miserably slow finish time. I would love to go back and run it when I am in marathon shape. London is a week later and gets all the press but Brighton is a gem worth checking out. It sells out fast too!

Bad Points about Brighton Marathon There were 2 days only for picking up race number and chip Friday & Saturday before race day. Queues to pick up your numbers were very long Some items in Brighton expo centre were overly priced. On race day the queues for the toilets were horrendous and were snaking all over Preston park. There were insufficient toilets and one female claimed she used the male urinal. There was A HILL within the first mile of the race. Some water stations were struggling with the demands for water in cups a few stations had no water in the cups. Some runners were taking 2 litre bottles of water from water the water stations and drinking from it. There were not enough Staff at the water stations and it were a little chaotic in places. I personally did not think there were enough energy drinks were given out. The energy drink were clear like the water which caused a bit confusion for myself and I think maybe for other runners. Did they give out wet sponges??? (I can't remember) Insufficent shuttle buses Great points The Spectators were just were fantastico they were very loud & vocal. There were Steel pans Drummers live Music and many other activities to motivate the over heated runners. Many Running Clubs including mine came along to support us from the beginning and to the end of the Brighton Marathon and majority of the supporters from my Club are also Marathon Runners! Some gels were given out during race. There were great support from St.John Ambulance & NHS Ambulance, Nurses and Doctors. Not forgetting the support from The Army. Brillant idea with the Tracking chip for the Brighton Marathon Runners. Great Goody bag food drinks and the famous or infamous Gatwick bottle. The Brighton Marathon Medal is a real beauty. I may have ran The Trindad Marathon this year but I still can't get use to the tropical heat in Brighton ;0P The Runners are very friendly. Well Done Brighton I still got the Buzz and Adrenaline from Running Brighton Marathon. Just one more thing RESPECT TO THE RHINO RUNNER!

The one thing I hate about marathons is the bits when you double back on yourself.. running out, seeing the faster people running back.. knowing you still have to come back the way you came... I would say 70% of Brighton is like this.. not too bad in the first half.. but about mile 21 when you are running along what can only be described as an industrial estate, and seeing the people coming back and willing the turn to happen.. that just doesn't come.. was absolutely soul destroying.. I have NEVER hit a mental wall in my 33 marathons.. this time I did..!!! But I suppose that is part and parcel of the marathon challenge...!! That aside, the organisation at the start was OK.. but more toilets were needed.. the crowds were fantastic, and the finish on the pier was fab.. ! But when I asked for another bottle of water (which was only a 330ml bottle).. I was told I couldn't have one, and would have to find a tap to fill it up... having run 26.2 miles in the sun.. I expected more! Also it was very overcrowded and took ages to get through the finish, while dehydrating with my 1 bottle of water.. It's another marathon ticked off.. but definitely NOT in my top 20.. I think it would struggle to get in my top 30! Shame because I'm sure Brighton has a lot more to offer..!

Pros: - incredible crowd; so loud, great mood - first 17-18 miles good mix of exciting crowd in old town and scenic along coast - bag dropoff and pick up was very easy - last mile had lots of loud spectators Cons: - bag pickup was a disaster. Took more than 40mins to get to front of line. Volunteers were all nice, but overwhelmed by number of runners - last out and back through industrial harbor and power is brutal. Ugly, windy, and no crowd. - exiting the finish chute was rough - too small for the crowd

I've run this race a few times now and always enjoy it. The course is undulating but nothing too testing. Crowd support seems to grow each year and the organization is always fairly good. The finish tends to be congested - this year they funneled us onto the beach which seemed to make it even worse. several reviews mention the road camber as a problem but I can't say I have noticed it. Will be back for 2016

I am not sure why the media keep saying the course is flat as it definitely is not. It is impossible to have a flat course in Brighton. If you have run another flat city marathon or even a half marathon before you know what a flat course is. This wouldn't have bothered me so much if there was not a strange camber to the coastal road as well. There was simply no crown to most of it. So not only are you are running on an incline you are also running on a curve. It just made the course too painful and tiring. I actually purposely did some of my training on a hilly route where I live but there is absolutely no where I could mimic the odd coastal road. The out and back route of the course didn't bother me as I rather run out and back than loops. I actually enjoy seeing the elite runners the other side as that is the closest I get to them unless they start the race and give hi-fives. Poor Jo Pavey must have sore hands. One thing that annoyed me was the lack of signage at the expo. Simple signs, rather than lackluster volunteers, directing people to the right place from the front door would be more efficient. Then again my previous marathon events have been European city ones. The spectators were great especially the kids. Some even made the effort to come out to the power station. This is obviously due to previous complaints of no one being around between miles 20-23. Be warned that while there is plenty of fluid. The water is given out in half cups at all water stations, you will either be given a bottle of Gatorade or a half cup depending on the water station, and the gels are often given out after the water.

Living in London and not getting a ballot entry to the London marathon for more years than I can remember, I decided to travel an hour south and run Brighton this year. Although it was supposed to rain for the event the rains never came and the sun actually came out briefly just after I finished. Overall I found the race to be rather average in terms of the expo and the course but the spectators were amazing and Paula Radcliffe was at the start line! The expo was nothing special but I guess it is not fair to compare it to the big city races like NY, Paris or London. The course begins in a park and has a sharp left turn after start which created a bottle neck and I actually slowed to a walk for a few seconds... The first mile or so was busy until we spread out a bit. I was running in the sub 4 hour group which seemed to include everyone from 3:59 to sub 3:00 runners so maybe this could be improved for future races. Generally, the course was ok with nice views along the coast but there are numerous long out and back sections. I did not study the course map much pre-race and did not realise how far some of the out and back sections were; this proved to be mentally draining when seeing the elites running on the other side of the road knowing it must be a long way before I catch up to that section. The coastal road is also not level in a few sections (presumably in case of heavy rain) and this can wear down your knees after a few miles. The central area of the course has a lot of support from spectators with a lot of people cheering (I have never seen so many spectators handing out candy and gels!). The problem is right when you start to fade at mile 20 or so, there are no more spectators because the race runs through a long industrial section. The industrial section is also out and back and it never seemed to end... By mile 23 the pier is in sight and the crowds were back with a large well supported finish line. The overall organisation was good with a lot of information provided in emails pre race. There were more than enough water and gatorade stations and the bag drop-off and pick up was terrific considering the start and finish are in different locations. The finishers medal is very nice but the cotton T shirt is a bit weak. There was a (crowded) beach village with a big screen which was also very nice. This was the fifth addition of the race so I'm sure it will continue to improve.

The out and back route in some stretches was very irritating as four runners could block progress or cause concertina effect especially on inclines. The heavily cambered roads were hard on the knees and ankles and running on the crown of the road often meant fighting through people to get to the water stops etc. I think this particular marathon is already at its capacity unless you enjoy running elbow to elbow. Overpriced and a peanut bar and a cotton finishers t shirt was not much of a goody bag.

Third time I have done this one and still my PB course. More or less flat (apart from a bit of a slope up to Ovingdean) but seems to be quite psychologically challenging around the powerstation out and back. Well organised and well supported. Quite a large chunky medal as well.

My fourth year in a row and will be back in 2014. Great city, organisation superb, spectators increased in numbers and a wonderful weekend at 'London-on-Sea'.

We spent 11 days in the UK with the Brighton marathon at the end of the trip. My wife's father was born in Southern England, so we got to see where he lived before coming to the US as a young man. This is my second international marathon, having run Dublin a few years ago. If I were doing it over, I would run the race early in the trip as I did in Dublin. Too much sightseeing in London, Edinburgh, and Dover took a toll and I was tired by mid race. My wife, being the good sport that she is, was a volunteer and worked traffic on London Rd. The organization was great. My only complaint was the amount of time it took to clear the congestion at the finish and get back to the room. The course had some very nice sections along the coast. I would have reversed the latter part of the race with the industrial area earlier and have the last few miles of the race east of town. The spectators were great and there were people even the more remote areas. Brighton is easy to get to from London by train and I recommend it.

My 3rd Brighton Marathon and thoroughly enjoyed it; again. It was a little cooler this year and the tour of Ovindene in the first half has been replaced with an extra mile in Hove which makes the elevations a little flatter overall. They still have a difficult section around Shoreham Power Station at mile 20-23 where it goes very quiet. The start area was better managed this time and the finish at Brighton Pier is still one of the best in the UK .

The route itself was tricky - this was my first marathon and the repeated 'out-and-back' process was mentally difficult. The scenery is beautiful, which helped a lot. Unfortunately, miles 20-24 ish ran through an industrial estate with the smell of metal and sewage, which attracted no supporters (except for the awesome official ones) at the stage of the race when you really need them most. I was enormously unimpressed with Clif, who did not stick around to see any of the slower runners, and handed out far too many Shot Bloks, which covered the roads, making them very sticky. I cannot speak highly enough of the people of Brighton, who came out of their houses throughout the residential areas. The volunteers were efficient, kind and well-organised. I don't think I could've wished for more from them - except maybe a piggy back when my feet eventually gave up ;) This is not a slow person's marathon, and I don't think I would have picked it as a first marathon had I known how it would be.

My husband ran last year and really enjoyed it so we both signed up for 2012. All in all I enjoyed this race, and I look forward to running it next year knowing what to expect in terms of hills, etc. (I was able to pre-register at the Expo for a discount and guaranteed place). If you have made a big improvement in your running, then this is a great place to get a PB. However, if you're looking to shave off minutes or seconds, then a flatter course may be more suitable. This wasn't gruelling, but it was challenging. While I really enjoyed the event, I have the following aspects to comment about: I felt like the course could be improved to make it a better race. If there was a 3.5 option for course, I'd have selected that. In terms of the scenery, the first 14 miles of the course are fantastic. You start off in a park, head down towards the city and then out along the cliffy sea coast. It's stunning to take in park, regency architecture, city, sea front and cliffs in the space of 10 miles! In 2012, there was a significant cross wind, which made parts of the first half very challenging. Also, the course is a lot more hilly than I was expecting. There weren't any major, major climbs, but the first half is certainly not flat, and with the wind it made for a big challenge. I started too fast and paid for it later! The second half of the course was a lot more disappointing. You head out from the main seafront area towards about 5 miles of residential back and forth. While the crowd support here was very good, it felt like a long out and back along a boring stretch. This out and back stretch was followed by yet another out and back stretch that was even worse, out towards an industrial site. While again, the crowd support here was substantial considering where it was, it's just an awful place to be spending the most challenging miles of the marathon, especially because it was preceded by another boring stretch. The final miles take you back along the sea front into the city centre, which was well supported by crowds and made for a great finish. I wish they'd make the finish line much more visible from afar with balloons or something, because you can't really sea it until you're 200 m away. It is hard to plan a course in a city like Brighton, where there are hills and lots of residential areas, but I think they could work on removing the industrial site, or else putting it earlier on in the race where it doesn't feel so demoralising, or providing better entertainment there. You need some uplift at those miles! The organisation, on the other hand, was fantastic. The start at the park was as smooth as butter. There were more than enough sport drinks, water stations, gels, etc., which I was really impressed with given the small number of competitors. The app was incredible, and I was able to change my number at the last minute to move ahead a corral and everything worked fine. I think they could improve the entertainment along the course, especially at the end. That would make up for some of the more dreary parts of the course. The fans were incredible. Lots of LOUD cheering that really helped, especially at the end. I'll stop short of giving them a 5, because it's not London or Berlin, but for a small city and a cold/windy day, they were fantastic! I love Brighton as a city, and I really enjoyed running there for the first 16 of the 26 miles. I think knowing what to expect, I'll enjoy it even more next year.

Very hot day for the 2nd Brighton Marathon, similar to 2010. However, great crowd cheering us on and a much improved final 3 miles across the front as we had a path blocked out for us this year. Fairly flat for the most part and very picturesque. Nice finish area at the Pier (where else ?)

Great day, great weather (if a tad hot), fab crowd. Only complaint: not enough Clif Shot Bloks at mile 12; none were left by the time I got there with the 5-hour pacer (fab pro Clif Bar pacers!), though plenty were left at mile 18, though. :) Can't wait for next year!

I ran the race this year, and it had superb organization. Bottles of water were handed out as well as PowerAde, and thanks to amazing weather on race day, Brighton was jam-packed with spectators who cheered us on all the way to the finish. I would definitely recommend this race if you're trying to run a PB (there are just few minor inclines). Having run big marathons before, I enjoyed not dodging people - and I still found a great atmosphere.

This was only the second running of the Brighton Marathon and for a new event it is very well organised. There are a few minor improvements required to take this event to the next level. The course is generally good with undulations in the first half and being relatively flat for the second half. The residential area from mile 15 - 18 is a little dull but the spectators are enthusiastic, and a big thank you to the man hosing the runners down as it was a hot day with little or no shade. The loop around the power station is very quiet which is not the best thing for runners at that stage. The DJ did his best but you could see that a lot of runners were struggling with the conditions and could have done with a lift. The organisation is good and you can see that the event has taken some ideas from other major city marathons. However, I would have preferred the start area to have been for runners only as it did get crowded as start time approached. The start corrals were not strictly marshalled and the baggage trucks should close at least 30 minutes before the start to avoid the last minute rush. The amount of wasted Powerade on the course was a concern. Perhaps take a tip from London and hand out smaller bottles, say 330ml instead of 500ml and it would be useful if the drinks could have been cold, particularly in the later stages, not sure how this could be done but it probably would have cut down on waste. The showers were good and as it was a warm day maybe another couple could have been included. The finish area needs more organisation. You have a foil blanket wrapped around you but it would be nice to include a sticker to keep it together as trying to keep the blanket on whilst carrying your kit bag and goody bag is almost impossible. Once the runners left the finish area you walked into a wall of people just hanging about waiting for their runner. The last thing that I want to do after running 26.2 miles is fight through a crowd of people to meet my family as I had arranged to meet them away from the finish area. This area should be marshalled better with a clear route for the runners to make their way back to the city centre. There needs to be more crossing points on the course for spectators, particularly in the last few miles, as this would also help runners leaving the finish area. The medal is very nice and the finisher t-shirts were available in sizes small - XL which beats the one size fits all attitude of London. The results page on the website is confusing. The finishing position is shown as race time and not CHIP time. Surely your position in the field should be decided by the time you have run and not the order you went through the start? The spectators were very enthusiastic and really supported all the runners. The fact that it was hot, sunny day probably helped with spectator numbers. A big thank you to all the volunteers, without who the event just wouldn't work, who were excellent throughout the day. This is still a fledgling event but I feel that it will become very popular in the next few years and by making a few changes here and there will continue to grow. I just hope the event doesn't try and become too big and keeps runner numbers to a manageable level. I have already signed up for 2012!