Brighton 10k race review | Brighton Marathon Weekend

I ran the Brighton 10k race in 2022 which took place during the Brighton Marathon Weekend. Do I recommend it? Is it a PB course? Here's my honest review of the Brighton 10k race.

Please note, I did this race in April 2022. Some of my comments may not apply to future editions of this race as some things might change :)

Brighton Marathon & 10k: key information

What time does it start?

In 2022 the 10k started at 9am and the marathon started at 9:45am

Where are the start and finish lines?

The gathering point for both races is at Preston Park. You will be called to your starting pen (based on your predicted finish time) then will be walked to the actual start line on the other side of Preston Park.

The finish line is by the race village along the beach front.

What is the cut off time?

According to the website in 2022, there is no official cut-off time but runners “may be asked to step to the side whilst the fast marathon runners overtake, if they are still on the course when the Brighton Marathon passes”

As for the marathon, the official race length is 06:40:00. Any runners still on the course will need to conduct themselves as pedestrians, with road traffic resuming and fuelling stations closing.

How much does the entry cost?

I paid £40 for the 10k, I signed up less than 2 months before. I believe it might have been cheaper had I signed up earlier.

As for the marathon entries, there are currently (at the time of writing) 3000 places on sale for £65. Then the price will go up to £75, then £85.

What is the bag drop situation?

I hope this will change for future editions, but in 2022 the only bag drop opportunity was at the race village (by the finish line) on the Friday and Saturday.

On the Sunday of the race, there was no bag drop at the start line. Come with your throw away jumper!

Where to pick up your race number and how is it assigned?

Race packs need to be collected at the race village on Brighton beach (Madeira Drive) on the Friday or the Saturday.

Your race number (at least for the 10k) is not pre-assigned, it is assigned when you collect it, based on your estimated finish time.

When you’re at the collection point you’ll see different finish time categories, each having a different race number colour which will be the colour of your starting wave on race day.

Just make sure to be given the correct colour of race number to avoid starting in the wrong wave.

Can you get a PB at Brighton 10k?

This is not the flattest 10k in the UK. Turns out, there are some hilly sections in Brighton despite being on the seaside. Not to mention the almost guaranteed wind when you finish the race on the beach front.

The final 3.5k are by the beach and I unfortunately had the headwind for the last 2k leading to the finish line.

I would say that you could get a PB at Brighton 10k but this won’t be the easiest course to achieve it.

You can see more details on my Strava. Here is the elevation per K and the map:

Brighton 10k 2022: my race experience

Check out the race vlog, I took my camera on the course :)

Overall I had an awesome experience! I wouldn’t rush to do it again next year but I really wanted to race in Brighton and I’m really glad I did it.

The organisation before and during the race was spot on and all the marshals made sure that things were running smoothly.

The atmosphere

I thought that the atmosphere on the 10k was going to be fairly quiet and that people who come support the main event, the marathon, which started at 9:45.

Although the support for the 10k was probably not as buzzing as the marathon, the crowds still lined up on the sides of the streets to cheer us on, especially on the beach front.

I can only recall one live band on the 10k course, I imagine there would be more on the full marathon course.

What I loved the most

As mentioned above, the atmosphere and the support is definitely one of the highlights. Brighton is a lovely place and it was awesome to run around the city with the roads to ourselves, admiring some of the best sights. Finishing by the beach is simply amazing.

If you do it next year, I hope you’ll be as lucky with the weather, the sun definitely made the world of a difference and the wind was only tough to manage in the final stretch.

The race photos are definitely worth buying, there were a bunch of photographers at different locations as well as after the finish line so you can get a nice photo with your medal.

I would recommend taking advantage of the discount if you buy your photo pack before the race. I think I saved about £20 and I got some nice photos including a video of me crossing the finish line.

Any negatives?

There were no Km or Miles signs along the course. This is the first race I do without any signs. Of course I had my watch but I had no way to check that the GPS was accurate without the signs.

The other slight negative was the absence of bag drop at the start line. Especially because we had to arrive at 8:30 and it was fairly cold, so we had to have a top layer but we knew we couldn’t get it back afterwards. This also means that if you are alone you need to carry your house/accommodation key with you.

Finally, making us arrive at 8:30 was not necessary. We only started moving towards our start pens at 8:45 and to the actual start line at 8:55.

Despite this minor issues, it was a great event, a beautiful race and if you love combining racing with weekends away, I’d highly recommend signing up to the Brighton 10k!

Kit suggestions for Brighton 10k

Because of the no bag drop situation at the start line, you need to be able to carry your key/car keys if you don’t have anyone supporting you.

My partner and I both raced so I wore shorts with a pocket allowing me to keep the key to our Airbnb and my phone. I highly recommend the 2-in-1 skorts from Sweaty Betty with a back pocket. Check out this blog post for more options.

I always use these race number magnets to pin my bibs, much easier than faffing around with safety pins.

Finally, don’t forget your favourite race shoes! I will need to get used to racing in Alphafly as my beloved Tempo Next % seem to be discontinued.

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