112 alternatives to Brighton Marathon 2023

Update 28 Nov 2022

Brighton Marathon is set to go ahead as the organisers behind the London Marathon will take over the running of the event and will be granted a licence from Brighton and Hove City Council.

“London Marathon Events has experience of running one of the world’s biggest marathons. I’m sure the 2023 Brighton Marathon will be a massive success. I believe event has a bright future and will go from strength to strength in the coming years.” 

Councillor Martin Osborne,  co-chairman of the council’s tourism, equalities, communities and culture committee

Read more on this article from The Argus.

Brighton Marathon in Doubt?

Brighton Marathon is currently scheduled to take place on Sunday 2 April 2023 but in light of recent news we wanted to share the 112 alternative marathons taking place in the UK and Ireland in March and April 2023.

The marathon weekend has been thrown into doubt with the news in late October 2022 that the organisers, Grounded Events, have filed a notice of intention to appoint an administrator amid reported £1.2 million debts and several legal cases.

If you’ve already purchased your entry for 2023 or perhaps deferred from last year’s event then try not to worry as Brighton and Hove City Council have said they are committed to staging the marathon in in 2023

Of course, you will worry, as preparing for a marathon is a big deal and you don’t want to spend months training only to find the event doesn’t happen, so read on.

Already got a place?

If you’ve got a place at Brighton Marathon 2023 then commit to starting your training and be positive in believing it’s going to happen. You’ve signed up for a marathon and Brighton Council have said it will happen, so at the moment nothing has changed.

There’s a high possibility that another event organiser will step-in to run the event, in which case you have nothing to worry about. The other side of the coin is that the event is cancelled, but at least we’re getting this news in 2022 rather than in the weeks leading up to the marathon.

The training starts now

At the time of writing (Early November 2022) there will be many who are starting their 20 week training plans. If you need this time to get marathon ready then start now. It won’t be wasted time. Each week you’ll be getting fitter, working your way from 5k, to 10k, to half marathons, and then onto those final long runs before tapering for the marathon.

For those that have a higher level of fitness, they may be choosing a 12 week marathon training plan, starting in the new year so they’re ready for that April date.

Look at alternative marathons

There are plenty of marathons taking place in the UK and Ireland in Spring 2023, around late March, early April, the same time as Brighton Marathon, so there’s no reason you shouldn’t be planning on running a marathon.

Okay, it won’t be Brighton and you may have your heart set on that but it’s still a marathon and still a great achievement. Your Brighton Marathon alternative will be smaller than Brighton, but remember this is a back-up, an alternative just in case you get the news that your preferred event isn’t happening.

The added bonus is that a lot of these races will have late entry deadlines in the weeks before the event so you can wait to see what’s happening with Brighton, and if the worse comes to the worse you can can simply sign-up with less of the hassle usually associated with the larger events.

A marathon is still 26.2 miles, no matter the race, and if you get the running bug then there will plenty more chances to run races such as Manchester Marathon or London Marathon, or even the New York Marathon!

Marathons in March and April 2023

Go beyond traditional road marathons

As you’ll see from the listings above, there are lots of events happening outside of the ‘big’ city events.

There are road races which are solely on tarmac, there are ones that are on the trails, so expect grass, mud, and generally more undulation over the course, plus there are those that are a mix.

You will also find events that offer a variety of race distances.

• Mixed distances – These will run traditional events alongside each other such as half marathons and full marathons.
• Timed events – These will usually be looped courses, such as 6 mile/10km loops and you will have a time limit e.g 6 hours to compete as many laps as you can. So you can complete a marathon or even an ultra. FYI ultra races equal more snacks!

What about tapering and my final run?

There are so many alternatives that there is no way you’re not going to be able to run a marathon in Spring 2023, but we know runners like to plan and plan, so for some it will be hard to not know an exact date of their run. Don’t stress.

At the end of your training plan you will be tapering, winding down after your longest run to ensure you’re legs are rested and you don’t get any niggles. This marathon taper period is typically between two and four weeks, so there is some wiggle room to when you run your alternative marathon, and sometimes having extra time can be a blessing in disguise if you’re carrying any minor injuries.

Marathon Pacing Charts

You may already have an idea of what your marathon pace is, but if you’ve only run shorter distances then it’s worth looking at the running pace charts to see where you stack up based on shorter runs.

We also have specific pace charts for marathon finishing times too.

Tips for completing a marathon

When you do finally get to run your marathon you will have undergone months of training and realised that there’s a reason it’s regarded as a tough distance. It’s not just a physical challenge but you will also encounter some mental challenges as you aim to cross that finish line, especially as you get to the final third of the race.

This is especially true if it’s your first marathon but don’t worry, you’re not alone in feeling this way, so we’ve written ‘10 tips to help you complete a marathon‘ with advice and tips for the mental challenge of pushing on when your brain is telling you to stop.

A final word

There are thousands of other runners who signed up for Brighton Marathon 2023 and are in the same predicament. Try not to stress and understand that the council and all those invested in the event will be doing their best to make it happen.