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Showing posts from: Brighton Half Marathon 2022
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March 1, 2022 at 3:29 pm
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Thanks to everyone who took part in our 2022 race

Runners in 2022

We’d like to say a very big thank you to everyone who took part in our 2022 race on Sunday!

Thousands of runners turned out for our 32nd race, with beautiful blue skies overhead. The event started at 8.57am with the wheelchair race, which saw the biggest ever field for this event, including three Team GB athletes. The main race was started at 9am by Dame Kelly Holmes MBE (mil), who then jumped in and joined runners on their route through the city!The route took in the stunning seafront cliff tops of east Brighton, the Royal Pavilion, The Grand Brighton hotel, the i360, the colourful beach huts of Hove seafront and the iconic Brighton Palace Pier. In the wheelchair race Moatez Jomni of the Weir Archer Academy took first place in the men’s race with a time of 62 minutes and 15 seconds, with the women’s race being won by Eden Rainbow-Cooper also from the Weir Archer Academy who finished in 73 minutes and 18 seconds.  In the men’s race, Ross Skelton of HY Runners, took first place with a time of 67 minutes and 48 seconds; second place went to Marshall Smith of Ashford AC, who came home in 68 minutes and 18 seconds; third place went to Simon Heath of Brighton Phoenix who finished in 68 minutes and 58 seconds.The women’s race was won by elite runner, Charlotte Ragan of Basingstoke & Mid Hants AC, who finished in 79 minutes and 14 seconds, followed by Rachel Gifford of Birmingham Running Athletics & Triathlon Club in 79 minutes and 26 seconds. Third place went to Emma Navesey of Lewes AC in 79 minutes and 46 seconds. Alongside the elite field, thousands of charity runners took to the streets of the city, raising money for over 24 charities, including local charities The Sussex Beacon and Chestnut Tree House, and national charities including Alzheimer’s Society and Macmillan.

Thanks once again to everyone who took part in this year’s event – runners, sponsors, charity partners and volunteers.

We hope to see you in our 2023 race on Sunday 26th February next year. Entries are now open at brhalfstaging.wpenginepowered.com/2023

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February 23, 2022 at 12:20 pm
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Get set for race day 2022

Get set for Sunday

We hope you’re ready and raring to run on Sunday! With just four days until race day, now’s the time to get your race kit sorted, put your name on your running top, and think about all those last-minute preparations that will help you have a smooth and enjoyable race morning. Here’s a reminder of the essential info ahead of race day…

Race day checklist
Essentials

  • Race number
  • Running top
  • Safety pins
  • Running tights / shorts
  • Running shoes
  • Running socks
  • Sports bra
  • A layer for the start
  • Race bag with a secure fastener for the baggage facility
  • QR code (if you’ve booked Park & Ride)

Extras 
  • GPS watch
  • Drinks bottle
  • Energy gels if needed
  • Electrolyte tablets
  • Drinks – water/isotonic drinks
  • Recovery bar/protein shake
  • Sun cream
  • Chafing cream
  • Gloves
  • Hat/headband
  • Sunglasses

Allow plenty of time to get to the start

With 10,000 runners signed up this year, please allow plenty of time to get to the start on Madeira Drive. The start time is 8:57am for the Wheelchair Race and 9am for runners, however we recommend that you arrive no later than 8:15am, and to go to your start pen when you have dropped off baggage.

Train works

Please do remember that there are engineering works on the London to Brighton train line this week and over race weekend. Please consider how you will travel to and from the race to help you have an enjoyable race day.

Need the helpdesk?

If your race number hasn’t turned up, you’ll be able to collect a new one from the helpdesk. Located in the first marquee as you walk down Madeira Drive from the Pier, the helpdesk will be open between 2-4pm on Saturday, and from 7am on race morning. The team in the helpdesk will also be able to assist with any other queries you have – and will also have a box of spare safety pins!

Limited merchandise on sale

We’ll have a limited number of hoodies and T-shirts on sale on race day. Unfortunately, we haven’t been able to re-order stock this year, but we’ll be bringing all the remaining 2022 stock to the race, available from the helpdesk. Please note that this is cash-only. If your size isn’t available, our 2023 range will be on sale very soon!

Read the race guide (if you haven’t already)

And finally, if you haven’t downloaded our race guide yet, please do give it a read. It contains all the essential information you’ll need for the morning to help you have an enjoyable race day.

We’ll see you bright and early on Sunday. We hope you have a great run!

 

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February 6, 2022 at 6:00 am
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Discover our 2022 race starter

Race starter

We’re delighted that Dame Kelly Holmes MBE (mil) will be our race starter this year.

Double Olympic Champion Colonel Dame Kelly Holmes MBE is one of the UK’s most popular athletes. She joined the British Army at 17, serving for over 10 years as a qualified HGV driver and Physical Training Instructor. In 1988 she was awarded an MBE in recognition of her services to the armed forces.

During a 12 year international career, Kelly won medals at Commonwealth, European, World and Olympic level, culminating in two Gold Medals at Athens Olympics in 2004 for the 800m and 1500m which cemented her place in history as the first women ever in Great Britain to win two gold medals at the same games. She was honoured with a Damehood in 2005 for services to sport.

Today Kelly is an inspirational speaker, an award-winning author, an entrepreneur as well as a fitness, wellness, and mental health champion. Kelly is passionate about raising awareness of mental health. Her own experience led her to learn more and to help others. A trained Mental Health First Aider she continues to be President of the charity she founded in 2008, Dame Kelly Holmes Trust – a charity which supports disadvantaged young people using the unique skills of world-class athletes to engage, enable and empower for which she won a Beacon award for philanthropy in 2017.

In 2018 she was appointed Honorary Colonel of the Royal Armoured Corps Training Regiment. Dame Kelly became the first person to be attached to a regular regiment as an Honorary Colonel which was signed off by the Queen.

In 2020 Kelly was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of York to add to 12 others she has received since retiring

As well as starting this year’s race, Kelly will also be running it: “I am really looking forward to starting the Brighton Half Marathon this year,” says Kelly. “Seeing mass participation events back to their best is fantastic!  It has motivated me to get back training and run it too. So my plan is to start the race off, jump down and get involved. I will not be racing – just enjoying the atmosphere.”

Give Kelly a wave as you pass the start line!

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February 4, 2022 at 1:55 pm
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Volunteer stories: Dawn Paul

Dawn Paul has volunteered at the Brighton Half for a number of years. Here she tells us about her experience helping out at the race and her volunteering role with a local junior parkrun.

How did you get involved with volunteering at the Brighton Half Marathon, and what area were you involved in?

After taking part in 2011 as part of my full marathon training plan, I joined RISE’s volunteering team with the lovely Naomi and Julie (who I’d volunteered with before) at the drinks station at mile 3 near the Marina. This area is full of action, hard work but so, so much fun. To know you’re playing a huge part in making wonderful memories for the participants makes all the hard work so worthwhile, and we always gave the last runners just as much attention as we had the first runners.

 

What are your highlights of volunteering?

A definite highlight was seeing and cheering on all the runners coming back the other way and once you’ve finished pack down to quickly head down to the finish and help out there. I spent several years helping out on drinks stations, but then from 2016 I joined Holly (Brighton Half Marathon’s Event Manager) as part of the junior parkrun core team (in Preston Park). As a junior parkrun team member I absolutely loved welcoming all our juniors onto site and caring for them through to their finish – happy memories indeed.

Do you have any tips or advice for people interested in volunteering at the race?

Be prepared for whatever the weather throws at you, wear comfortable clothes and footwear, and… smile …a lot! Bring a small bag with a few snacks, notepad, pen, scissors – and throat sweets 😆

If you’re looking out for someone special, wear something bright and colourful and let them know where you are stationed so you can give that special high-five or shout out as they come past. Lastly, just enjoy yourself – it’s such a wonderful atmosphere and you are doing something absolutely amazing.

A big thank you to Dawn for volunteering with us and contributing to our blog. If you’d like to volunteer at the race on Sunday 27th February, you can register your interest on our volunteering form and we’ll be in touch.

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January 24, 2022 at 6:00 am
Brighton Half Marathon 2022  |  Charity news
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Join Team Beacon as we celebrate 30 years of The Sussex Beacon

Run for Team Beacon

Following on from last year’s record-breaking £55,000 raised for the Beacon, #teambeacon returns in February with a new price, new vest and new medal!Registration is just £30 (with a £200 fundraising commitment) and you’ll receive these great benefits:

  • Exclusive 30th medal
  • Technical running vest
  • Private toilets
  • Dedicated Team Beacon area
  • Chance to run with our celeb runners, including Zoe Lyons
  • Food & drink
  • Dedicated Team Beacon race pen – new for 2022!
  • Dedicated cheer point for families – new for 2022!

Sign up for a Team Beacon place >>

Beacon supporters at Pride

More about The Sussex Beacon

Every year, the Brighton Half Marathon is organised by The Sussex Beacon, a Brighton-based charity providing specialist care and support for people living with HIV in Sussex.Whilst medication now means that people can live long and full lives after being diagnosed with HIV, many still suffer from secondary illnesses such as dementia or cancer, or face the stigma and isolation still associated with a positive diagnosis.  Your support means that the charity can continue its vital specialist medical and community care for people living with HIV, whether recovering from treatment, getting help with a new diagnosis, or seeking mental health support.Find out more about the Beacon and the work it does.

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January 13, 2022 at 3:04 pm
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Make your miles matter by joining Team Macmillan

A Macmillan runner

At Macmillan, we give people with cancer everything we’ve got. If you’re diagnosed, your worries are our worries. We will move mountains to help you live life as fully as you can. And we don’t stop there. We’re going all out to find ever better ways to help people with cancer, helping to bring forward the day when everyone gets life-transforming support from day one.

If you too are passionate about supporting people with cancer, we will make every penny you raise count for something in someone’s life. We will cheer you on until we’re hoarse and shout your achievements from the rooftops. Because you’re doing something amazing; helping people with cancer live life as fully as they can. And they need everything you can give, because life with cancer has never been so tough.

Sound interested? Sign up now for a charity place >>

As soon as you’re registered, you’ll be fully supported from day one by our dedicated events team. We’ll send you a digital welcome pack and be in touch regularly to keep you updated with updates about the event and ways to fundraise for Macmillan.

In addition you’ll also receive:

  • A free Macmillan technical running top plus iron-on letters to customise your kit
  • A fundraising pack bursting with fundraising tips and tricks
  • Access to our online training materials
  • Invites to exclusive online events to support you with all elements of your training and fundraising
  • Regular e-newsletters to keep you up to date with Macmillan’s news and activities
  • The loudest and most supportive cheer points on the course!

Most importantly we’ll provide you with a reason to keep going because you’ll know that you’re helping improve the lives of people living with cancer. Donations make up 98% of our annual income so we simply couldn’t do what we do without you.

How does my support make a difference?

We’ll hold your hand through treatment. Help you pay the fares to hospital and fight for fair treatment for you. If you can’t work, we’ll help you with the bills, if you can’t sleep, we’ll find someone you can talk to, if you need a voice we will speak out for you.

It’s never not our problem. If there’s a way to help we will find it and we will see it through. And we never let anything stand still. We are a force for change, pioneering new and ever better ways to support people with cancer.

We’re on a mission to bring forward the day when everyone with cancer gets life-transforming standards of care from diagnosis on.

So, what are you waiting for? Sign up today, put on that green t-shirt and support people living with cancer.

Got your own place already?

You can still run for Macmillan. Let us know that you would like to join Team Macmillan by completing this form and we’ll organise a fundraising pack for you. You’ll still receive the same level of support as a charity place runner, all we ask in return is for you to raise as much as you can for Macmillan.

Volunteering

We need an army of cheerers to make this event special. If running is not your thing or you have any family and friends who’d like to come and support you on the day, we’d love them to join our volunteer team! The cheer point locations will be based at a few locations throughout the race’s course, but they will be easily accessible from the Brighton city centre.

Visit our volunteer website to find out more and to register as a volunteer.

If you have any questions about running or volunteering for Macmillan, you can email us at running@macmillan.org.uk or call on 0300 1000 200.

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January 6, 2022 at 1:22 pm
Brighton Half Marathon 2022  |  Charity news
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Dementia isn’t slowing down. Neither can you.

Alzheimer's Society

Every three minutes someone develops dementia. It’s the UK’s biggest killer. But with your running, we know we can beat it.

We need your miles, your energy and your determination. We need you to help put an end to dementia. Turn your training runs into life-changing research. Your race day nerves into ground-breaking studies. Your finish line thrill into hope for future generations.

It won’t be easy. There will be mornings when you’d rather press snooze than pound the pavements. When the rain and the wind will make you want to turn back; when the end looks too far away.

We’ve been there too. That’s why we know you won’t give up. There’s a long road ahead to find a cure, but together we will break through the wall.

Currently there is no cure, but Alzheimer’s Society has invested £70 million into dementia research since 1990. Run for us and no matter how long it takes, we will beat dementia

Sign up now >>

 

How you can help

£50 means 312 people can access Talking Point, our online safe space, where a trouble shared can become a trouble halved. People accessing Talking Point can learn from each other’s experiences, share their frustrations and their knowledge of local services.

£200 brings together a person with dementia and a Side by Side volunteer for six months in our Side by Side service. This crucial offering is helping to combat the isolation and loneliness that too often accompanies a diagnosis of dementia. Something as simple as getting out to visit the garden centre or a natter over a coffee can help combat loneliness.

£300 could support one of our Research Network Volunteers for six months. These volunteers are dementia experts by experience. After training, they read every research application that comes to Alzheimer’s Society for funding to ensure that our research stays relevant, impactful and life changing for people affected by dementia.

The benefits of joining Team Alzheimer’s Society

Join us to unite against dementia and in return we’ll support you every step of the way. Some of the benefits you will receive are:

  • We’ll set you up in style on race day with your own Alzheimer’s Society running top
  • A fundraising pack and support from our dedicated events team to help you smash your fundraising target
  • Access to our training zone, with training guides for all abilities as well as information from our professional coaches on everything you need to get you race-ready, including nutrition and tapering
  • Access to a Facebook group so you can chat to other runners
  • The biggest cheers on the course and motivational support on the big day

Join the race. Beat dementia. Run the 2022 Brighton Half Marathon for Alzheimer’s Society.

Sign up now >>

 

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December 23, 2021 at 2:07 pm
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General entry closing 31st December

 

A heads up that if you’re keen to run in the 2022 race on Sunday 27th February, general entry places will be closing on New Year’s Eve, 31st December. You can enter on our registration page here.

After this date, you’ll still be able to enter via a charity place with one of our charity partners. General entries will not reopen. See all of our wonderful charity partners on our charity page.

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October 26, 2021 at 5:20 pm
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Early bird pricing for 2022 ends soon

Early bird ending

Our early bird pricing for the Brighton Half Marathon 2022 will be ending very soon – get your spot on the start line for our 2022 event on Sunday 27th February next year.

Back to our usual springtime slot, the race is perfectly placed if you’re gearing up for a spring marathon – or just to clear the cobwebs after Christmas!

You can enter the 2022 event on our registration site.

 

 

 

 

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May 10, 2021 at 5:07 pm
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Volunteer stories: Lisa Smith-Wallace

Lisa Smith-Wallace has volunteered at the Brighton Half for a number of years. Here she tells us about her experience helping out at the race.

I got involved in volunteering for Brighton Half Marathon in 2014 when I joined the committee at my running club. My first ‘job’ was to recruit 20 marshals from the club and I decided to join the team. Myself and the club chair came to The Sussex Beacon office to meet David, Martin and others to find out what our role would be on the day so we could relay that back to our willing club volunteers. Apart from the years that I have run the event I have volunteered every year.

On race day, we meet at our allocated zone and are road marshals for the day. We are briefed, given our hi-vis and security lanyards and then each of us is allocated a road closure to manage. The barriers are already set up so we are there to prevent traffic from getting access on to the course, to answer questions from nervous runners at the start and also questions from the public. At the end of the shift, we wait until we are given permission from security that the roads can be reopened.

Highlights

The best highlight for me at such a high-profile local race is that as a road marshal, we are in a premium position to see friends, family members, fellow club members and others from the local running community as they race past. The BHWRC club volunteers come armed with whistles and cowbells and we look out for our jade and black club vests with pride to give our members a massive cheer to support them on their way along the route.

Tips for would-be volunteers

Tips and advice that I would give relates to the usual February race date. Wear lots of layers and bring more layers with you. It is an early start and the road closures are in place an hour before the race starts so it can be really cold.

Bring a flask and snacks too! We are provided with a packed lunch but staying warm takes up a lot of energy. Also, even in February you should consider wearing sun cream as some of us have been sun burnt in the past and not been aware until later in the day. Have fun and enjoy!

Keep your spare layers in a comfortable back pack that you can wear under your hi-vis, unfortunately there are some opportunists about – sad advice but it is something we tell our volunteers each year.

Lisa Smith-Wallace

Volunteer at the 2022 event!

Fancy volunteering with us on race day 2022? Sign up on our volunteering registration form and we’ll be in touch with more information.

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May 3, 2021 at 11:06 am
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2022 entry now open!

2022 entry now open

Calendars at the ready: entry to our 2022 event opens today! The date for your calendar next year is Sunday 27th February. After a turbulent 2020/21, why not kick-start your running year with the Brighton Half.

Back in its regular slot at the end of February, the race is perfectly placed if you’re training for a spring marathon. If you’ve caught the running bug over lockdown, it also makes a great first half marathon, with a flat, fast course and fantastic crowd support. 

Charity places in 2021

If you can’t wait until next year, there are still charity places available for our 2021 on Sunday 27th June. The event was postponed from our usual month of February so we’re excited to be able to hold a unique midsummer half. See all our charity partners here and contact them directly about running in June.