The Brighton Marathon 10th April 2011
Information from the The Brighton Marathon team.
Brighton’s second Marathon will be taking place on Sunday 10th April 2011, with 15,000 runners registered to take part in this exciting event for the city. With anticipated spectator crowds of 150,000, Brighton will have a great atmosphere on the day and we hope your stay is enjoyable as well as memorable.
We have endeavored to make the logistics of the day run as smooth as possible. Obviously there will be some disruption to the City with road closures and parking restrictions, please see below information. However we aim to make the day as special as possible for runners and spectators alike. As well as the 26.2 marathon race for adults, there is The Grand Hotel Mini Mile race along with 14 entertainments stages along the route, there is a lot for everyone to enjoy.
Welcome and Introduction from the Race Director
Dear Brighton and Hove Visitor,
You are probably aware that the second Brighton Marathon is here, taking place on Sunday 10th April.
The Start for the expected 10,000+ runners, will as last year, be in Preston Park at 9am.
And as last year, we are anticipating another huge day of fun and celebration for the city, with the runners winding their way between the Start in Preston Park and the Finish in Madeira Drive along exactly the same route they used twelve months ago. Hopefully too, the sun will shine for us all once again!
Thousands of the runners who ran the very first Brighton Marathon reported afterwards that the support of the Brighton and Hove crowds completely shocked them – and reduced many of them to tears. A repeat by you this year would be most welcome, so let’s show every one of them – most of them running for charity remember – just how much noise Brighton and Hove can make!
Once again within the following pages we want to give you as much information as we can about our Brighton Marathon Weekend (April 9th & 10th), so that you can plan your days around the city’s biggest sporting event and the tens of thousands of runners and visitors.
We believe we’ve considered everything for you over the weekend – and more! For example, we are staging a FREE TO ENTER “Running & Healthy Lifestyle Exhibition” at the Brighton Centre on Saturday April 9th (10am to 6pm) where we are providing an opportunity to meet sports stars and encourage everyone to find out about a healthier lifestyle.
Our Grand Hotel Mini Mile Races for kids on race morning (starting from 8.30am to 9.30am) will see 1,115 youngsters from 8 to 17 years old racing the last mile of the marathon route; and our Sunday evening “After Party” at the Brighton Centre will see a wonderful celebration of the race for runners and you with live music, food and drink.
Please come down once again with your family, your picnics and your cameras and join us in supporting these amazing individuals who are taking on the 26.2 mile challenge of a lifetime.
Good Luck everyone, thank you again and we hope that you have a great day.
Best wishes
Tim Hutchings
Key Timings – The Start
6.30am– First Park and Ride Buses leave all sites for the Start
7.00am– Charity Village opens
7.00am– Baggage Lorries open
7.00am– Changing tents, toilets and concessions open
7.30am– Music commences from entertainment stage
8.15am– Warm up around the stage
8.30am– Runners begin to assemble in Start Corrals
8.30am– The Grand Hotel Mini Mile Races Start on Hove Sea Front , 1,115 children participating.
9.00am– Gun goes off for the Marathon Start!
Park and Ride information
We are offering a Park and Ride Scheme for Brighton Marathon runners and their accompanying spectators.
We are offering a Park and Ride Scheme for Brighton Marathon runners and their accompanying spectators.
■ Brighton Marathon Park and Ride Sites
● University of Brighton – parking at the following sites: Moulsecoomb – Watts
building, Mithras House and Crockcroft.
Directions: from A23/A27 junction follow A27 east for 2 miles and look out for yellow
signs to Brighton Marathon Park and Ride. For full directions please visit:
www.brighton.ac.uk/maps/moulsecoomb/
● University of Sussex – parking at main University Campus on the A27
Directions: from A23/A27 junction follow A27 east for 2 miles and look out for yellow
signs to Brighton Marathon Park and Ride. For full directions please visit:
www.sussex.ac.uk/aboutus/findus/location.php
■ Cost
The cost for using Park and Ride sites is £5 per car. Spectators travelling with runners will be allowed to board the bus. There is no charge per person, just per car.
The Park and Ride scheme is not for use of the general public. These spaces have been reserved for runners and their friends and family.
■ Buses to the Start
The first bus from each of these sites will leave at 6.30am and approximately every 6 minutes after that until 8.15am. The journey is around 10-15 minutes from each site.
■ Buses from the Finish back to the parking sites
The first bus from the Finish will leave at 1.30pm, with the last bus departing at 5pm.
After 5pm it will be the runners’ responsibility to make their own way back.
Please ensure that you get on the right bus from the Finish for your parking site.
■ Getting back to the Park and Ride sites after 5pm
University of Brighton
● By bus: The 24, 25, 25A, 25C, 28 and 49 all provide a frequent service from central Brighton to the University
● By train: Moulsecoomb station is situated behind the Watts and Cockcroft buildings (and across the road from Mithras House) and is two stops from Brighton station
University of Sussex
● By bus: The 25, 28, 30, 728 and 729 all provide a frequent service from central Brighton to the University
● By train: Falmer station is a 3 minute walk from the University of Sussex and trains run from Brighton to Falmer
Please check National Rail and the Brighton and Hove Buses website for Sunday timetables.
Taxis from Central Brighton to all sites will take around 10-15 minutes, traffic dependent.
Important Traffic Information for Race Day
The Brighton Marathon hopes to be a fantastic event for runners, residents, local commerce and retailers. After a very successful first year we have made two small changes to the route. Over the next two pages are some key points to help you plan your Sunday without disappointment.
Start Time: 9am in Preston Park. Runners and spectators will start arriving from 7am
Preston Park: The Park will be used from Thursday April 7th until Sunday April 10th. Access to the park will be compromised from 6am until 10am on the Sunday - Race Day
Finish Time: 4pm on Madeira Drive, dependent on the last runner to finish. All roads around the city (apart from Madeira Drive) will be re-opened by 4pm. If runners are still on the course we will kindly ask them to move on to the pavement where necessary.
Madeira Drive: This is the location of the Finish area including marquees and the Finish line. This will be constructed from Friday April 8th and in place until Monday April 11th. There will be a partial closure of Madeira Drive during this period.
Roads affected into Brighton from 7am until 11am
Preston Circus closed from 7am until 10.15am
Old Steine closed from 7am until 11.30am
_ London Road into Brighton / Hove will be diverted west at
South Road and can travel into Brighton via Dyke Road.
_ London Road into Brighton / East Brighton will be diverted
east at Harrington Road until 10.15am
_ A270 from Falmer travelling into Brighton / Hove will be
diverted west onto Hollingdean Road
_ A270 from Falmer travelling into East Brighton / Rottingdean
will be diverted east onto Elm Grove until 11.30am
_ Travelling from Hove to East Brighton you will need to use
Old Shoreham Road and follow diversions. Preston Circus will
be open for west to east access from 10.15am
_ Ditchling Road travelling to Brighton / Hove will be diverted
at Fiveways to Preston Drove
_ Ditchling Road travelling to East Brighton / Rottingdean will
be diverted at Fiveways to Bear Road
_ Bear Road will have access to Hollingdean Road via the
Vogue Gyratory all day
_ Elm Grove to Brighton / Hove will be diverted to Hollingdean
Road until 11.30am
_ Southover Street will have no access onto Lewes Road
until 11.30am
_ Edwards Street will have no access onto Pavilion Parade
until 11.30am
Roads affected into Brighton from 7.30am until 1.30pm
_ A259 from Eastbourne will be diverted north at Rottingdean
from 7.30am till 1.30pm
_ Traffic from Ovingdean to Brighton will need to travel
through Woodingdean via Falmer Road
_ Ovingdean to Rottingdean / Eastbourne will need to travel
via Falmer Road
Roads affected into Brighton until 4pm
_ West Street will have access to the car parks all day but have
no access onto Kings Road from 7.30am to 4pm
_ Montpelier Road will have eastbound access only onto
Kings Road from 7.30am to 4pm
_ The Drive will have limited access onto Grand Avenue
from 9am to 4pm
_ A259 from Shoreham will have access as far as Third Avenue
until 4pm
Uninterrupted Access
_ Hove Street will have uninterrupted access onto Kingsway as
far east as Third Avenue
_ Boundary Road will have access all day onto Kingsway/A259
_ Residents living south of Church Road / New Church Road
and west of Grand Avenue will have access all day on to
Kingsway but will have no access onto Church Road
_ Residents living north of Church Road / New Church Road
and west of Grand Avenue will have access all day on to
Blatchington Road / Portland Road but will have no access
onto Church Road / New Church Road
Travelling by car to the Royal Sussex County Hospital
For residents travelling from:
Hove / Portslade / Southwick / Shoreham / West Blatchington:
Between 7am and 4pm: Travel north onto Old Shoreham Road
and follow diversions. From 10.15am access across Preston
Circus will be possible Post 4pm: Travel to Hospital
uninterrupted
For residents travelling from:
Coldean / Bevendean / Moulsecoomb:
Pre 11.30m: Travel south along A270 and east via Bear Road,
Hartington Road or Elm Grove
Post 11.30am: Travel south along A270 to Edward Street
For residents travelling from:
Central Brighton (North Laine / Lanes):
Pre 11.30am: Travel to Queens Road and towards Seven Dials.
Access available across Preston Circus after 10.15am.
Access east available via Miller’s Road before 10.15am
Brighton and Hove NCP Car Parks – 0845 050 70 80
http://www.ncp.co.uk/brighton.html?city=Brighton
Spectators
Spectators watching the Start from within the park will be surrounded by runners until the last runner has looped the park (possibly till 9.45am). We advise one of the following:
1. Depart Preston Park by 8.30am and start walking south towards the City Centre and Seafront.
2. Watch the Start from the narrow strip of grass between the Start Corrals and the A23, and then head south using that strip, avoiding the flower beds.
3. Watch the Start from the pavement on western side of the A23 and then head south towards the City Centre and Seafront as a ’corridor’.
Entertainment on the Course
There will be a stage in Preston Park, playing music and broadcasting important information. There will also be 14 entertainment stages along the course showcasing a number of acts, bands and performers to help keep the runners motivated and to add to the atmosphere of the day. The Main Stage sponsored by Leaders Estate Agents is located at mile 15 in Grand Avenue, where there will be lots of great bands performing during the day.
Please note any local travel updates will be broadcast on Heart 102.4 and 103.5.
Race Day Information Desk
There will be an Information Point situated in the middle of Preston Park for any enquiries for runners participating in the race. A further information desk will be situated by Concorde II for any friends and families with general queries about the logistics of the day or runners.
The Finish
The race finishes in Madeira Drive, just east of the Brighton Pier.
Repatriation/Family Reunion
Beyond the charity village will be an area for your friends and family to congregate to
meet you, there will be A – Z signs visible; it would be wise to agree to meet at one of
these letters.
The Grand Hotel Mini Mile Races
There are four age categories: • 17 years and under • Under 15 years • Under 13 years • 8 to 11 years this linear race will Start near the Peace Statue in Hove and Finish near the Marathon Finish in Madeira Drive; using the closed roads of the Marathon medal.
Traffic Management Times
Bars and restaurants will be busy so it’s advisable to book in advance. More information about places to wine and dine can be found at www.drinkinbrighton.co.uk
If you need to travel around the City by taxi, you can call City Cabs on (01273) 205205
http://www.205205.com
We hope that you have a great stay in Brighton and enjoy all that the City has to offer.
Brighton Marathon Team
