Marathon legend Paula Radcliffe was the official starter of the Brighton Marathon in Preston Park on Sunday (7 April) and the former marathon world record holder and three-time London Marathon champion delighted runners at Hove Lawns as she handed out hard-won medals to many star-struck finishers (pictured above).

Radcliffe said: “The Brighton Marathon is a great event which shows off the city in all its splendour. I started the event in 2014 and it was great to come back. For me, there’s nothing better than marathons. From being around the atmosphere at the start to seeing everyone again at the finish having completed their marathon journeys. It really is special.”

This was the second year of the Brighton Marathon Weekend held under the management of London Marathon Events and it was easily the biggest since the Covid pandemic. Brighton Marathon is the UK’s third largest marathon and first took place in 2010. BM10K was first held in 2014 and since 2023 has embraced the coast by starting and finishing at Hove Lawns.

Joe Carter, Event Lead for Brighton Marathon Weekend, said: “It’s been amazing to see so many people getting involved in the Brighton Marathon Weekend – from everyone who took on the Brighton Miles, BM10K and the Brighton Marathon, to all our incredible volunteers and the thousands of supporters lining the streets. What we've seen today is a real celebration of the city: fun, vibrant, engaging and welcoming. We're delighted by the way the community has embraced the event once again and are excited to introduce even more improvements for next year's event on Sunday 6 April.”

More than 11,000 people completed the Brighton Marathon and the winners were Oliver Knowles, 33, of Petts Wood Runners in 2:32:27 and Hannah McGowan-Jones, 30, of Thurrock Harriers in 2:55:00. Brighton was Hannah’s marathon debut and she finished almost ten minutes clear of the next athlete.

A further 2,710 people finished BM10K won by Tom Higgs (South London Harriers, 31:29) and Alex Richer (Horsham Blue Star, 38:44). The Brighton Miles on Saturday (6 April) drew another 1,200 people to the famous Brighton seafront promenade with 16 separate wave starts and adult winning times of 5:07 by Ricky Coleman and 7:22 by Daniella Mahroyan.

Early bird entries for the 2025 Brighton Marathon, which takes place on Sunday 6 April 2025, are already open and people can enter for a penny under £60 here...

Full results and previous reports are available at runABC South race listing here.

Images courtesy Brighton Marathon Weekend