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Brighton Marathon 2027: Everything You Need To Know
The Brighton Marathon brings thousands of runners to the south coast for 26.2 miles through Brighton and Hove, combining the atmosphere of a major city marathon with long stretches of running beside the sea. Taking place on Sunday 4 April 2027, the race starts in Preston Park before taking runners through the city and out towards the coast.
The course has some significant climbing during the first half, but the later miles are flatter as runners make their way through Brighton and Hove towards the finish. General entry for the Brighton Marathon 2027 is already open, while a large number of charities also have places available for runners who want to combine their marathon with fundraising.
The Destination
Brighton and Hove is one of England's best known seaside destinations and provides a very different race weekend from many of the UK's other major marathons. The seafront inevitably dominates the city, with Brighton Palace Pier, the beach and the Brighton i360 among its most recognisable sights.
Head away from the coast and you will find the Royal Pavilion, The Lanes and North Laine, alongside a huge choice of cafés, restaurants and independent shops. The South Downs sit just beyond the city, giving you another option if you want to extend your visit beyond marathon weekend.
Direct rail services connect Brighton with London and other parts of southern England, making the city relatively straightforward to reach without a car. Accommodation becomes busy around marathon weekend, though, so booking early is sensible.
Central Brighton and Hove both put you close to parts of the course, but remember that the marathon starts at Preston Park rather than on the seafront. Check how you will reach the start before choosing where to stay, particularly if you are planning to travel across the city on race morning.
History Of The Brighton Marathon
The first Brighton Marathon took place in 2010 and the race has developed into one of the biggest marathons in the UK. The original weekend combined the marathon with a free children's event, before a 10K was added in 2014.
A major change came in December 2022 when London Marathon Events took over the organisation of Brighton Marathon Weekend. The events were rebranded in 2023, with the children's Mini Mile becoming the Brighton Miles and later opening to participants of all ages, while the 10K became the Brighton and Hove 10K in 2024.
The marathon remains at the centre of the weekend. Up to 20,000 participants are expected across the Brighton Miles, Brighton and Hove 10K and Brighton Marathon in 2027, demonstrating how far the event has grown since its first edition.
When Is The Brighton Marathon 2027?
The Brighton Marathon takes place on Sunday 4 April 2027, with the wider Brighton Marathon Weekend running across Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 April. The Brighton Miles take place on Saturday before the marathon and Brighton and Hove 10K on Sunday.
The marathon starts in Preston Park. The organiser says the 2027 start time will be confirmed around five weeks before race day, so runners should check their final participant information before making detailed travel plans.
Brighton Marathon Race Pack
Your Brighton Marathon Event Pack contains your race bib and timing chip, making it essential for taking part. London Marathon Events posts Event Packs to the address held in each runner's registration account, so make sure your details remain up to date.
The detailed replacement and collection arrangements for 2027 will be confirmed closer to race weekend. Runners will also receive a Participant Guide containing the information they need before, during and after the marathon.
Check everything as soon as your Event Pack arrives rather than leaving it until race weekend. Your bib and timing chip are essential, while the Participant Guide should be your main source for final start, travel and race-day arrangements.
Race Morning
The Brighton Marathon starts in Preston Park, north of Brighton city centre. Thousands of runners need to reach the same area within a relatively short period, so allow considerably more time than you would for an ordinary journey across Brighton.
Road closures will affect travel around the city and public transport is likely to be busy. Preston Park has its own railway station, while Brighton station is further south towards the city centre, so your best route will depend on where you are staying.
The start has a free bag drop, toilets and accessible facilities, while pacers cover target finishing times from three to seven hours. Once you arrive, you still need time to leave your bag, use the toilets and get into the appropriate start area.
Follow the organiser's final transport and arrival advice rather than assuming your normal route across Brighton will operate as usual. Give yourself some spare time so the final hour before your marathon is spent preparing to run rather than worrying about whether you will reach the start.
Brighton Marathon Course
The Brighton Marathon is a 26.2-mile road race through Brighton and Hove, starting in Preston Park and combining city streets with extensive sections along the coast. The organiser currently lists approximately 477 feet of elevation gain for the 2027 marathon.
The detailed road closure information for 2027 has not yet been published, with the organiser currently providing the 2026 information for reference. The existing official course guide therefore gives runners a useful indication of the character of the marathon, but individual streets and course details should be checked again when the final 2027 information is released.
The Start At Preston Park
On the current course there is an early climb along Preston Park Avenue, gaining around 20 metres over approximately 700 metres before the route drops down Preston Drove. It is easy to run too hard at the beginning of any marathon, and an uphill opening makes that an even greater risk. Keep the effort controlled and allow the field to settle rather than wasting energy trying to maintain an exact pace on the climb.
Into Central Brighton
The current route then moves towards the heart of Brighton, with Miles 2 to 5 broadly flat. Runners pass landmarks including the Theatre Royal and Royal Pavilion before the course circles The Level and encounters another climb around St James's Street. This is one of the livelier early sections of the marathon, with the city surroundings and growing crowds making it easy to get carried away. There is still a very long way to run, so enjoy the atmosphere without allowing it to dictate your pace.
Marine Parade And The Coast
Lower Rock Gardens brings runners onto Marine Parade and the character of the marathon changes again as the sea comes into view. The current route initially follows a relatively flat elevated stretch before beginning to rise along Marine Drive. This is where Brighton demonstrates why describing it simply as a flat seaside marathon can be misleading. Run the climbs by effort rather than forcing your target pace regardless of the gradient, particularly with so much of the race still ahead.
Towards Ovingdean
The route continues east along the coast towards Ovingdean, providing wide views along the coastline but less protection if the wind is strong. The current course becomes more undulating during this section before another climb takes runners towards the eastern turnaround. The main climbing is completed by around Mile 11, leaving much of the second half considerably flatter. The temptation may be to accelerate immediately, but there is still more than half a marathon to run, so settle back into your planned effort and allow the easier terrain to do some of the work for you.
Brighton Marina And Halfway
The return journey takes runners back towards Brighton, with the current route passing above Brighton Marina around the halfway stage. Reaching this point feeling controlled is a much better sign than arriving there having already spent energy trying to make up time on the earlier hills. The course begins descending towards the busier parts of Brighton and the atmosphere gradually changes as the crowds become larger. This is a good point to reassess how you feel, continue with your fuelling plan and concentrate on maintaining a sustainable effort.
Brighton Seafront
Returning to central Brighton brings runners back alongside some of the city's best-known sights. The current route takes runners through Aquarium Junction and Madeira Drive before returning towards the central seafront, with Brighton Palace Pier, the Brighton i360 and the Grand Hotel among the landmarks associated with this part of the course. The roads are considerably flatter than the earlier coastal section, which can help you settle into a consistent rhythm. You are now well into the second half of the marathon, though, and the distance rather than the hills becomes the main challenge, so continue fuelling and drinking rather than allowing the crowds to distract you from your race plan.
Through Hove
The later miles take runners west through Hove, where sensible early pacing begins to pay off. By the time you reach 20 miles, even a flat road can feel very different from the same road during the opening stages of a marathon. Crowd support through Hove can provide an important lift as the race reaches its hardest stage. Rather than thinking about the entire distance remaining, break the final few miles into smaller sections and concentrate on maintaining your effort.
Hove Promenade And The Finish
The closing miles bring runners back towards the coast, with the current route heading onto Kingsway and then Hove Promenade. Brighton and Hove's colourful beach huts appear around Mile 25, providing one of the most distinctive sights of the closing stages. From there, the crowds build as you pass Hove Plinth and make your way towards Hove Lawns. After the city streets, early hills and long coastal sections, crossing the finish line beside the sea provides an appropriately Brighton ending to 26.2 miles.
How Difficult Is The Brighton Marathon Course?
Brighton should not be treated as a completely flat marathon. The organiser lists approximately 477 feet of elevation gain, with the current course concentrating most of its significant climbing during the first 11 miles.
The early climb from Preston Park and the later coastal section towards Ovingdean mean runners need to be disciplined during the first half. The advantage is that the later miles are considerably flatter, giving you an opportunity to establish a consistent rhythm if you have managed the opening section sensibly.
Weather can also affect the difficulty. Brighton's coastal setting means wind can become a significant factor, while an unexpectedly warm April day would make the later miles more demanding.
Brighton can offer the conditions for a fast marathon, but that does not make it an easy course. Train for the hills, respect them on race day and save enough energy for the final six miles.
What Makes The Brighton Marathon Special?
Few major UK marathons have a setting quite like Brighton. The race combines the scale and atmosphere of a big city event with long stretches beside the sea, moving between busy city streets and more open coastal sections.
Brighton itself becomes part of the experience rather than simply providing the backdrop. The route takes runners through different parts of Brighton and Hove, while the crowds along the central seafront and through Hove create some of the liveliest sections of the race.
Finishing beside the sea adds another distinctive element, with the final miles bringing runners towards Hove Promenade and Hove Lawns. The wider Brighton Marathon Weekend also means the event is about more than 26.2 miles, with the Brighton Miles and Brighton and Hove 10K giving other runners, friends and family members ways to become involved.
Is The Brighton Marathon Good For First Time Runners?
Brighton has many of the ingredients you would want from a first marathon. It is a large event with extensive race day infrastructure, thousands of other runners and substantial crowd support, while pacers covering times from three to seven hours can help runners working towards a particular target.
The course does require some preparation. First time marathon runners should include hills in their training rather than preparing exclusively on flat roads, as the climbing during the first half will feel considerably easier if your legs have experienced similar terrain before.
The size of the event is another consideration. Preston Park will be busy on race morning and the opening miles will contain plenty of runners, so arrive early, start in the appropriate area and resist the temptation to weave unnecessarily through the field.
For runners who want their first marathon to feel like a major occasion, Brighton offers a strong combination of big crowds, coastal scenery and a memorable finish beside the sea.
Running The Brighton Marathon For Charity
Charity fundraising is a major part of the Brighton Marathon, with a large number of organisations already offering places for the 2027 race. Each charity sets its own arrangements for its places, including any registration fee and minimum fundraising commitment.
There is a particularly wide choice of charities for 2027, ranging from major national organisations to smaller causes. That gives you an opportunity to find an organisation that genuinely matters to you rather than simply choosing whichever charity happens to have a place available.
If you are considering a charity place, understand the commitment before accepting it. The organisation is allocating you one of its places because you have agreed to fundraise on its behalf, so make sure the target is realistic and give yourself enough time to reach it.
Runners who secure their own general entry can also use the Brighton Marathon to raise money for a charity of their choice without taking one of its allocated places. A marathon gives you months of opportunities to involve supporters, so share why you are running and take people through the training journey rather than waiting until the final few weeks to start asking for donations.
How To Enter The Brighton Marathon 2027
General entry for the Brighton Marathon 2027 is currently open. Unlike marathons that allocate general places through a ballot, Brighton offers direct entry while places remain available, with runners able to secure a place through the official Brighton Marathon Weekend website.
Charity entry provides another route into the race, with a large number of organisations already advertising 2027 places. Each charity sets its own registration fee and minimum fundraising commitment, and availability will change as organisations recruit their teams.
If Brighton is one of your targets for spring 2027, you do not currently need to wait for a ballot. You can secure a general place and begin preparing for race day on 4 April.
Where To Stay
Brighton is a popular weekend destination even without a marathon taking place, so accommodation can become expensive when thousands of runners and supporters arrive in the city. Staying close to the seafront or around central Brighton gives you easy access to restaurants, the railway station and much of the city on foot, while areas such as Hove can provide more options if central hotels are limited.
If you are travelling to Brighton for the marathon, book as early as you can and check the location carefully before confirming your stay. A hotel within walking distance of the city centre or with straightforward public transport connections can make race morning easier and save you a longer journey on tired legs afterwards.
Our Verdict
The Brighton Marathon has grown into one of Britain's biggest marathons, and the setting is a significant part of its appeal. Few races of this size combine busy city streets, large crowds and such extensive stretches of running beside the sea.
The course also has more character than its coastal location might suggest. The hills during the first half require some respect, while the flatter later miles reward runners who have been patient enough to save energy for the point where a marathon really begins to become difficult.
Brighton itself adds considerably to the weekend. The seafront, Royal Pavilion, independent shops and restaurants make it easy to turn the race into a short break, while the wider Brighton Marathon Weekend gives supporters and family members other ways to become involved.
For charity runners, the large number of organisations with places makes Brighton an important fundraising event, while direct general entry provides a straightforward route for runners wanting their own place. If you want a major spring marathon with big crowds, a varied course and a finish beside the sea, Brighton has established itself as one of the standout 26.2 mile events in the UK.
Race Website
Our Podcasts
Have a listen to Olivia Harman's account of the race on one of our podcasts here.
For another fascinating account of the day check out Clarke's story.
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