The 33rd Brighton Half Marathon and 31st anniversary of the Sussex Beacon - the HIV charity that organises the race - was celebrated on Sunday 26th February by 7,109 finishers in the 13.1-mile race that starts on Madeira Drive before passing some of Brighton’s most iconic sites including the Palace Pier, Brighton Metropole Hotel, The Royal Pavilion, the i360, West Pier, Brighton Marina, and the colourful Hove Beach Huts.

On another perfect, sunny day for racing Matt Denby, Executive Director, Sussex Beacon said: "What a wonderful day, such an incredible atmosphere. Thank you to all the runners, the charities, the supporters, and the fantastic volunteers who make the event possible! The Brighton Half Marathon is the main fundraising event for The Sussex Beacon, but we also raise money for over 20 other fantastic charities, typically raising over one million pounds in vital funds every year.”

In a sign of the popularity of this race, several leading participants from last year returned to lock horns again. In the men’s race, Leeds University student Cal Mills (Leeds City AC, 1:06:37 PB) flew across the finish line with his arms spread in joy as he held off last year's runner-up Marshall Smith (Ashford AC, 1:06:41 PB) by just four seconds. Simon Heath (Brighton Phoenix, 1:07:01 PB) had plenty of local support in third place.

The women’s race was equally enthralling as last year’s winner Charlotte Ragan (Basingstoke & Mid Hants, 1:18:24 PB) had six seconds to spare over Ruby Whyte-Wilding (Lewes AC, 1:18:30) who was making her half marathon debut. Third place went to another Brighton Phoenix representative, Amy Harris (1:19:17 PB).
 
More than 500 runners enjoyed sub-90 minute runs as standards continue to rise, assisted by the flat course and benign weather conditions this year. Racing had started at 9:00 am with the Youth Race on Hove Lawns, a dedicated 1-mile event for juniors aged between 7-17.

Alongside the main field, thousands of charity runners took to the streets, raising money for local charities such as The Sussex Beacon and Rockinghorse as well as national charities including Alzheimer’s Society and Macmillan Cancer Support.

Charity runners included Royal Marine Sam Hammond, AKA Man v Fridge or 'Fridget Jones', who ran the race in aid of SSAFA, the Armed Forces Charity, carrying a 26kg fridge on his back, to claim a Guinness World Record (2:04:13). The previous record was 2:45:08 by Brian Resutek (USA) set in 2020.

Next year's race will be held on Sunday 25th February 2024. Visit the website here for details.

Results and previous reports at runABC South race listing here.

Images courtesy Brighton Half Marathon press release