New race scheduled to be held a week before the London Marathon
Charities will be able to raise funds with a new marathon to be held in Brighton next year – one week before the more illustrious London race.
The Brighton Marathon, on 18 April, will allow charities to buy up to 25 places for supporters and will boast a capacity of 12,000 runners.
Tim Hutchings, director of Grounded Events, the firm behind the race, said he wanted to make the event more accessible to small charities than the London Marathon.
"We limited the number of places charities could buy to stop the big organisations buying up hundreds," he said. "We want to differentiate ourselves from the London Marathon and champion the small guys."
Hutchings said the Brighton Marathon would not have a negative effect on the number of people running the London event because thousands of runners who applied to the capital’s race were unsuccessful.
Many charities have been unable to secure places at the London event because of the way the charity places are allocated. Charities that bought gold bonds, which guarantee five runners' places each year for five years, received them on a renewable basis – meaning very few become available to the hundreds on the waiting list.
Individual places in the Brighton race, which has yet to sign an official sponsor, cost £45. Charities can choose between two packages of support and runner hospitality for either £75 or £95.
Patrick Cox, chief executive of the Small Charities Coalition, said the event offered small charities the chance of recognition and to raise funds.
