The Brighton Marathon is back – meet some of the people taking part and see the route map here

It has been a long wait but the popular Brighton Marathon and 10k is back this Sunday (September 12).

The marathon was cancelled last year due to the pandemic and this year’s event was moved from April to September, so it has been a long wait for some who signed up for the challenge.

But the time has come and we at the Brighton Indy want to wish everyone taking part in this weekend’s events lots of luck. Whether you are a serious runner hoping to run a personal best or if you will be taking it a bit more steady while raising money for an amazing cause – you can do this!

American Express, one of the marathon’s main partners, also has a message for the thousands who will get their running shoes on this Sunday.

They said: “Good luck to everyone taking part in Sunday’s BM10k and Brighton Marathon. After a difficult 18 months, it’s great to see this amazing event back on our streets. A huge thank you to everyone involved in making the event happen in a safe and Covid-secure way.”

Today (Saturday) the youngsters, aged seven to 17, get a chance to complete a mini mile at the start of the marathon course in Preston Park. Then, tomorrow (Sunday) the 10k runners go first with arrivals at 8am before the 26.2 mile marathon runners get ready to go at 9am.

Organisers have asked people to avoid gathering at the start line but to offer support and cheers along the main marathon route, including at the Royal Pavilion, the i360, the Peace Statue and the power station in Portslade.

There will be thousands of people taking part. We spoke to just a few of them who hope to raise money for charity as well as completing the marathon or 10k.

So grateful for support

Mum-of-three Suzanne Mallaghan from Hove is running the marathon for the Rockinghorse charity which supports the Trevor Mann Baby Unit (TMBU) and The Royal Alex Children’s Hospital in Brighton.

Suzanne’s twins Kai and Jared were born two months premature after a difficult pregnancy. The boys developed a rare form of Twin to Twin Transfusion, a life threatening condition and needed an emergency delivery. They were born in April 2016 and stayed at the TMBU for the first few weeks of their lives.

Suzanne said: “We are so very grateful for the staff at TMBU who supported our boys during that time and the staff at The Alex who continued to support Jared as he faced further challenges in the months that followed.”

Kai and Jared are now happy, healthy and enthusiastic 5 year old boys and have a little brother Rowan, aged two.

It will be Suzanne’s first marathon and you can donate to her at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/suzanne-mallaghanHelping other brain injury survivors

Zara Dyer is taking part in the marathon for a brain injury charity that she set up after suffering a life-changing traumatic brain injury (TBI) when she was driving in 2016.

Zara was 29 at the time when she had a random seizure which led to her crashing her car into a concrete post and causing multiple injuries to her body and brain.

During her ongoing recovery, Zara set up a registered charity called 3 Million Steps to help other brain injury survivors get easier access to equipment that would aid them and their therapists in their recovery.

She hopes to be able to complete the marathon distance over a two-day period with her partner Ian by her side, starting on Saturday.

To sponsor Zara, visit https://3millionsteps.orgI said I would not waste this gift

Stephen Lockwood is raising money for the Imperial Health Major Trauma Unit where he was rushed to in 2017 after being run over by a terrorist on Westminster Bridge.

Stephen said: “I suffered life threatening injuries and underwent several operations and physio sessions to help me walk again, all under the care of Imperial Health. I made myself a promise when I was lying in the hospital bed after I had surgery to save my left leg that I would not waste this gift. I would walk, run and do what I can to give back and support the Major Trauma Unit that helped and cared for me and countless others.”

Visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Stephen-Lockwood1 to donate

For my dad Brian

Jolyon Michael has already raised more than £7,000 for Pancreatic Cancer UK. He said: “This charity is close to my heart as I sadly lost my wonderful dad to the disease in November 2020. It’s unacceptable that more than half of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer die within three months.”

Donate at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/RunForBrianMichaelPaul Goldstein ran his first Brighton Marathon ten years ago dressed as a tiger. Despite saying he would never do it again, he will be getting the tiger suit out and running with a small team this Sunday to raise money for the protection and conservation of the endangered Bengal tigers.

Doing the 10k together to say thank you

Taking on the 10k is a special group of friends from the Brighter Outlook Running Group.

Brighter Outlook is an initiative run by Albion in the Community which helps people living with and beyond cancer to become more physically active.

Nick Prince, Deborah Birnie, Alice Dewar-Mills and Niki Strange, all from Brighton, have praised the ‘life-line’ the running group has given them and are excited to be taking on the 10k on Sunday as a thank you to the Albion in the Community charity.

Nick, 56, was diagnosed with prostrate cancer nearly two years ago. He has had chemotherapy and radiotherapy and is still having hormone treatment now. He said: “The running group has helped me a huge amount, getting me through the treatment regime. I have benefited from this fantastic service free of charge so this is the least I can do.”

Niki was diagnosed with melanoma in 2018. A year later she discovered she had triple negative breast cancer. She has had chemotherapy and radiotherapy and it was during her treatment she found out about the Brighter Outlook Running Group.

Niki, 50, said joining the group was ‘a bit of a lifeline really’ adding that as well as the physical aspect, it had also helped her mental health. She said about the 10k: “I am feeling pretty good about it. I’m just going to enjoy it.”

Deborah, 66, from Brighton, was diagnosed with a form of pancreatic cancer in August 2019 and had to undergo a major operation with a three-month recovery time and chemotherapy. She said the running group was a lifesaver and praised coach Ros. She said: “It was terribly hard to start with but now it’s so wonderful, it makes you feel alive and active. My prognosis wasn’t good but I’ve had three clear scans now. I’ve got a new lease of life. I never thought I’d do a 10k. I’m so excited about it and so proud to be running with my team.”

Mum-of-two Alice, 42, has had chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2020. Alice said having cancer during a pandemic was a ‘whole new level of hard’.

She said when she started running with the group in October it proved to be a major lifeline for her.

“It was just a lifeline to meet other people who just got it,” said Alice. “I am much less fit than I used to be so I am feeling nervous about the 10k but I’m also really proud.

“Brighter Outlook has done so much for us, it’s so important for us to raise money to help it keep going for the people who come behind us.”

You can donate to the Brighter Outlook team at www.justgiving.com/fundraising/BrighterOutlookBM10KGood luck to everyone taking part. Send us your photos and times to be included in our post marathon coverage! [email protected]