My first marathon so I was unsure what to expect, the main thing I took from the experience was just how amazing the Brighton crowd was! They turned out in their numbers and really got me through.

I arrived on the Saturday lunchtime and collected my race pack with ease. You’re given a competitor t shirt here rather than a finishers one.

I stayed in Hove, a 10 minute Taxi from Brighton town centre and also 10 minutes from the start line. Prices were ramped up but that was to be expected.

The Start:

Easy to navigate my way to Preston Park, a good starting place and easy to meet family and friends. Plenty of toilets (and bushes) and various refreshment outlets. 

The Race:

The race starts with a hill and a lap of Preston Park. It then goes through the Town centre before ended up towards the beachfront, you then run as far left as you can and then back on yourself and as far right as you can! As both of these points are far away from the centre, it was quite quiet and did seem to go on a bit. I found the chamber of the road to be difficult to run on and ended up with sore hips! There’s a boring industrial estate section at about mile 19 ish which drags on for a few miles. The last couple of miles until the finish are good though, running along the beachfront and the crowds really start to gather. 

The End:

At the end I was given my finishers pack and a pint of alcohol free beer (I didn’t meet another person that enjoyed the taste) but it was a nice touch.

My Summary:

I wanted a sub 4 but came in at 4:14. I’ll take that for my first marathon and I’m not sure I’d do Brighton again, the camber in the road really aggravated any injuries I had. Having said that there’s no doubting it’s well organised and the crowds are fantastic.