RuPaul’s Drag Race stars Joe Black and Alfie Ordinary to start Brighton Marathon

The weekend is being organised by London Marathon Events (LME) for the first time this year. The world-leading mass participation events company took over the management of the BMW last December and prevented the events from collapse.

The BMW begins on Saturday (1 April) with the Mini Mile in Preston Park. More than 1,600 children and young people have registered for the free event which begins at 11am. On Sunday (2 April), the Brighton Marathon and BM10K take place, turning the city into a sea of activity.

More than 12,000 people have registered to take part in the Brighton Marathon, which starts in Preston Park at 9.45am. The official starters will be Brighton residents and stars of RuPaul’s Drag Race Alfie Ordinary and Joe Black.

The Brighton Marathon follows a route that heads north of Preston Park to Withdean, before heading east along the coast, back towards Hove and then along the seafront again where the Finish Line will be on Hove Lawns for the first time.

A total of 130 charities have places in the events with participants raising money for an array of causes.

Among the participants taking part are Isabelle and Emily Gammer, both 23 and from Essex, who are running in memory of their friend Grace Millane who was murdered while backpacking in New Zealand. They are raising money for the White Ribbon Campaign.

Also taking part is Andrew Fountain, 54, from Cowfold, who is at the beginning of an epic challenge to complete the Brighton Marathon, South Downs Way 50 and TCS London Marathon all in the month of April. Andrew is raising money for the Rockinghorse Children’s Charity to thank the charity for its help when his son, Eddie, was born needing life-saving surgery 29 years ago.

The BM10K starts at Hove Lawns at 09:00 and is held on a new, fully coastal route. More than 3,500 participants have registered to take part.

About the Brighton Marathon Weekend

The Brighton Marathon Weekend first launched in 2010 with the Brighton Marathon and the free youth event the Mini Mile

In 2014 the BM10K was added to the Brighton Marathon Weekend

The 2023 Brighton Marathon Weekend will be from 1-2 April, featuring the free Mini Mile on Saturday 1 April and both the BM10K and Brighton Marathon on Sunday 2 April

As of December 2022, the Brighton Marathon Weekend and its associated events is organised by London Marathon Events

About London Marathon Events

London Marathon Events (LME) organises a series of mass participation events inspiring more than 200,000 participants every year. Its portfolio of world-class events includes the world’s biggest marathon and the world’s greatest festival of cycling. The mass participation events are:

Vitality Westminster Mile

Vitality London 10,000

Ford RideLondon

Standard Chartered Great City Race

The Big Half, New Balance Big Relay and The Big Mile

Swim Serpentine

TCS London Marathon and TCS Mini London Marathon

Brighton Marathon Weekend

The London Marathon is the world’s biggest annual one-day fundraising event and has now raised more than £1.1 billion for thousands of charities.

Every year, London Marathon Events gifts its trading surplus to the London Marathon Foundation. Both organisations share a vision of Inspiring Activity and a mission to inspire and enable people to become and remain physically active across all ages, demographics and abilities.

London Marathon Foundation is the operating name of The London Marathon Charitable Trust, the parent charity of London Marathon Events. Since 1981, the London Marathon Foundation has made grants totalling in excess of £98.3 million to more than 1,500 projects in London and across the UK that help people to become and remain active.