Press

AMERICAN EXPRESS SPONSORS 2012 VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME

3 January 2012

The Grounded Events Company is delighted to announce that American Express will once again be sponsoring the Volunteer Programme for the Brighton Marathon which takes place on Sunday April 15th 2012.

Tracey Allen, Head of Community & Volunteers at the Brighton Marathon, said: "In its first two years the race has received phenomenal support from the local community and the volunteer teams have been superb.

"As the volunteers are such an important element in making the day a success I am delighted that American Express is once again sponsoring the Volunteer Programme.

Ian Lundberg, Senior Vice President, American Express, said: "Building on the success of 2011, American Express is delighted to again sponsor the volunteer activities at the 2012 Brighton Marathon. The support, energy and dedication of hundreds of volunteers from the local and wider community are pivotal to the success of this wonderful event

"We understand the importance of positive wellbeing which is why American Express is committed to promoting healthy living through our own employee wellness programme. Similarly, we understand the importance of community involvement which is why we continue to invest in supporting local events like the Marathon. Many of our employees will be there on the day helping marshal the race, manning the water stations and supporting friends, family members and colleagues who are taking part

Apart from sponsoring the Volunteer Programme, American Express is sponsoring the Aquarium roundabout and manning a stand at the Running and Healthy Lifestyle Exhibition.

If you want to get involved in this unique action-packed day in the Brighton calendar, please register on line at www.brightonmarathon.co.uk by 29th of February 2012.

PRIZE MONEY BRIGHTON MARATHON 2012

24 November 2011

The Brighton Marathon is delighted to announce its prize structure for the 2012 race which takes place on Sunday 15th April 2012.

In a change to last year's Open Prize Money structure, men and women will now receive equal status.
As in 2011, the Brighton Marathon is offering prize money for UK athletes in addition to the open prizes.

The enhanced time bonuses reflect the improvement in last year's winning times and the expectation of seeing further improvements in 2012.

The Brighton Marathon is organising its second marathon seminar for athletes and coaches on January 14th 2012.

Anyone interested should contact Richard Nerurkar on richard.nerurkar@groundedevents.co.uk. Further information on the seminar can be found at http://www.brightonmarathon.co.uk/eliteseminar.php.

BRIGHTON MARATHON 2012 PRIZE MONEY & TIME BONUSES

OPEN PRIZE MONEY (non-cumulative)

Men		Women
1st	$3,000	1st	$3,000
2nd	$1,500	2nd	$1,500
3rd	$1,000	3rd	$1,000
4th	$750	4th	$750
5th	$500	5th	$500
Total	$6,750	Total	$6,750

UK ATHLETE PRIZE MONEY (cumulative with above)

Men	UK Athlete	Women	UK Athlete
1st	$500	1st	$500
2nd	$300	2nd	$300
3rd	$200	3rd	$200
Total	$1000	4th	$1000

TIME BONUSES (non-cumulative)

Men		Women
Sub 2:12	$4,000*	Sub 2:34	$4,000*
Sub 2:13	$3,000*	Sub 2:36	$3,000*
Sub 2:14	$2,000*	Sub 2:38	$2,000*
Sub 2:16	$1,000*	Sub 2:40	$1,000*
Sub 2:18	$500	Sub 2:42	$500
Sub 2:20	$250	Sub 2:45	$250

*Must place in top 3.

Olympic Coaches for Marathon Seminar

7 November 2011

The Brighton Marathon has attracted a high-profile duo of coaches to its January 2012 seminar.

Coach to two Olympic champions, Luciano Gigliotti, and former UK National Endurance Coach, Malcolm Brown, will be the keynote speakers at the seminar which is taking place at the Brighton Hilton Metropole on Saturday 14th January 2012 (5pm – 7.30pm).

Gigliotti guided two of Italy’s most successful distance runners, Gelindo Bordin and Stefano Baldini, to Olympic titles in Seoul 1988 and Athens 2004 respectively.

Brown is currently coaching the talented tri-athletes, Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee, hot medal favourites for the 2012 London Games.

As with last January’s highly successful get-together, the seminar will be followed on the Sunday morning (15th Jan) by a group tempo run over 20km with pacemakers.

The weekend, which is being supported by England Athletics, is aimed at elite and sub-elite marathon runners and coaches. Anyone wishing to attend should contact Richard Nerurkar at richard.nerurkar@groundedevents.co.uk or go to www.brightonmarathon.co.uk/eliteseminar

SUSSEX AIR AMBULANCE RUNS BRIGHTON TO SAVE LIVES

28 October 2011

The Sussex Air Ambulance potentially saves 16 extra lives a year as a result of running the Brighton Marathon.

Each helicopter mission costs £2,500 to mount and with the funds still coming in from this year's race and over £40,000 raised so far, SAA is delighted that they are able to extend their reach.
"The money is obviously important for us," says Bridget Pepper of SAA, "but just as vital is the raised profile we get from the event.

"Not many people realise we are a charity and when you have to raise £1.8m each year to survive, then you can see how crucial exposure is and the Brighton Marathon is phenomenal in that respect."

Brighton Marathon Race Director Tim Hutchings added, "This is a superb cause that I'm so happy is benefitting from our race. My best friend's life was saved by the SAA in September 2003 after a serious motorbike accident in Ashdown Forest. Long may they continue their fabulous work."

Each SAA mission consists of a pilot, a critical care paramedic and a doctor at senior registrar/consultant level.

The team can provide cutting edge care, the equivalent of a flying A&E department, capable of anaesthetising patients and carrying out invasive surgery at roadside.

This year SAA had 109 runners fundraising for the charity and for 2012 they are still picking up runners for next year's team.

"It's the ideal way of getting the message out and growing the coverage," says Pepper.
The 2012 Brighton Marathon takes place on Sunday 15th April.

STEVE COOGAN TO RUN 2012 BRIGHTON MARATHON

12 October 2011

The Brighton Marathon is delighted to confirm that Steve Coogan is to run the race next April.

The English comedian, actor, writer and producer will don his running shoes on April 15th 2012 and join the throng around the streets of Brighton and Hove.

Coogan, 46 on Friday, will be raising money for the Whitehawk Inn. The community centre and learning hub is one of the Brighton Marathon's six local Charity Partners.

"Hearing that Steve Coogan plans to run the Brighton Marathon is wonderful news for us as organisers," said Race Director, Tim Hutchings, "but in particular for Whitehawk Inn, one of our Official Local Charity Partners.

"The work they have done and continue to do in the community is fabulous and I couldn't be more delighted. I know Steve will receive enormous support on the day and it heightens the sense of anticipation even with six months to go till race day."

The Whitehawk Inn has just started its Learning for Life appeal which is vital for the survival of the community training centre which was in danger of closing.

Coogan's best known character, Alan Partridge, was created for radio and then transferred to television in 'Knowing Me, Knowing You'.

The show won Coogan the Top Male Comedy Performer, Top Comedy Personality and Best New Television Comedy at the British Comedy Awards.

PRESTON PARK OVERRUN

12 October 2011

More than 2000 ecstatic schoolchildren overran Preston Park on Wednesday morning for the opening event of Run The World.

The project aims to get thousands of Brighton and Hove children to cover 1km for an aggregate equivalent to running from Brighton to Central Africa.

Cheered on by Olympic champion, Sally Gunnell, 2423 primary school pupils tore round the Park on the first of a three-day quest to total over 4000km.

An impressive 24 of the City's schools have signed up for the challenge.

1000 more children are expected in Hove Park tomorrow and a further 1000 will gather in East Brighton Park on Friday.

The first race starts at 9.30 and the day concludes at 2pm approx.

Organised by the Brighton Marathon team, The Grounded Events Company, Run The World is sponsored by Brighton and Hove City Council, Southern Water, Healthy Cities and Nuffield Health.

"This is a great initiative to introduce young children to running," said Gunnell, "and to help them enjoy staying fit and healthy. Come and run for fun! It's great to be fit!"
For more details visit http://www.run-the-world.co.uk

BRIGHTON MARATHON CHARITY OVER £200,000 MARK

4 October 2011

The Brighton Marathon's Official National Charity Partner, Teenage Cancer Trust, pulled out all the stops at this year's race to raise a formidable total in excess of £200,000.

"This is wonderful news for Teenage Cancer Trust and a real spur to us as event organisers," said Race Director, Tim Hutchings.

"It's easy to forget that each edition of the Brighton Marathon, apart from giving tens of thousands of people so much fun and pride on race day, also benefits hundreds of charities and therefore tens of thousands of people in the following months and years.

"Our congratulations go out to all the runners who raised this money and thanks to those who dug into their pockets to make the day so special for our charity partners."

"We had a fantastic experience being the Official National Charity for the 2011 Brighton Marathon," said Faye Seogalutze, Challenge Events Executive, Teenage Cancer Trust.

"We splashed the city blue with over 350 Teenage Cancer Trust runners, as well as the loudest cheering stations along the course.

"It's a brilliant new Marathon and the event raised over £200,000 to help young people fight cancer, increased the awareness of Teenage Cancer Trust and our runners had an unforgettable experience."

All the money raised from the Brighton Marathon will go towards Teenage Cancer Trust's South East Appeal, to build and equip a specialist teenage cancer unit at The Royal Marsden in Sutton, Surrey.
Due to open in 2011, this new 13-bed unit will cost over £3 million and means for the first time young cancer patients living in the South East will be treated with others their own age in an environment suited to their needs.

Next year's Brighton Marathon, which takes place on Sunday April 15th, has attracted a record 18,000 entries.

Exhibition doubles up for 2012

After the resounding success of its inaugural year, the Brighton Marathon has decided to extend its Running and Healthy Lifestyle Exhibition to two days.

“We are delighted that we can put on a two-day exhibition to welcome all of our Brighton Marathon runners into the City,” said Managing Director, Tom Naylor.

“It kicks off the Marathon weekend in style and is, we hope, very exciting for runners and non -runners alike. Last year the footfall in one day exceeded all our expectations and so with everything we try and do in 2012 it will be bigger and better.”

In 2011, over 7,000 people visited the Exhibition and with the new two-day format more than 20,000 are expected to pass through the doors of the Brighton Centre.

The exhibition, which will be held over both floors of the Centre featuring over 110 stands, is a showcase for Running companies and brands specialising in running-related activities as well as Marathon targeted nutrition.

Like last year, there will be an opportunity for early registration into Brighton2013 well before the 2012 race is run.

Race packs for 2012 may also be picked up at the Exhibition.

There will be a timetable of rolling talks – The Saucony Celebrity Seminars - with expert advice from former Olympians and industry experts dispensing tips on training, nutrition, equipment and health care.
Last year star names included Olympic medallists Sally Gunnell, Steve Cram, Liz McColgan and Charlie Spedding.

For those not familiar with the City, there is a Best of Brighton and Hove sector where fascinating insights can be gleaned into what the City and county of Sussex have to offer.

The free-to-enter Running and Healthy Lifestyle Exhibition takes place at the Brighton Centre 13 – 14 April 2012. Friday opening 12 noon to 8pm, Saturday 10am to 6pm.

To view an online version of the press release pdf please click here.

IAAF ACCOLADE FOR BRIGHTON MARATHON

The Brighton Marathon is delighted to announce that it has been granted coveted Bronze Medal status by the World governing body, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF).

“After just two years of our existence this is a tribute to all the professionalism and hard work that our staff has put into this race,” said Race Director Tim Hutchings.

“There are only three other events in the UK that have been given IAAF status, the Great North Run, the Great South Run and the London Marathon, so we are now officially recognised as being amongst the country’s very best events, something that we as organisers, and the city of Brighton & Hove, should be immensely proud of.”

To achieve this award, races have to fulfil a series of demanding criteria.
The marathon route needs to be measured by an accredited IAAF/AIMS course measurer to guarantee it is the correct distance for record purposes.

There needs to be a minimum of five nationalities represented amongst the elite runners, shared out between the male and female competitors. Equal prize money will be paid to men and women.
The status gives the Brighton Marathon the right to display the IAAF Road Race Logo on the website and all promotional material.

2012 BALLOT CLOSES AT 5PM TODAY

Time is running out for anyone who wants to run the 2012 Brighton Marathon. At 5pm TODAY, the ballot for next year’s race closes.

The successful ballot candidates will be drawn on Wednesday 1st June and sent an email with a registration link and unique code on the same day.

Each candidate will then have until midnight on Friday 17th June to accept the place and complete their registration.

Any places not taken up will be re-allocated into a second draw and the individuals informed.
The ballot is the third phase for entering the 2012 race.

Anyone attending the Brighton Marathon Running and Lifestyle Exhibition on the eve of this year’s race on April 9th could reserve a place.

Then general entries opened on April 11th and were offered on a first-come-first-served basis until April 30th. Finally, the ballot opened when general entries closed.

Fastest out of the gate for 2012 were the charities who instantly snapped up the places made available to them. This year, there were over 230 charities involved in the 2011 race, but that figure has risen to over 300 for next year, reflecting increased interest.

Apart from the charity allocation, 15,000 places were made available for general entries for 2012.

OFFICIAL CHARITIES 2012

Charities have an essential part to play in raising funds for the community and in that respect the Brighton Marathon has become, in its short existence, an indispensable vehicle.

In its inaugural year, it was estimated that the Brighton Marathon raised more than £3m for good causes and with a 25 percent increase in the field this year, that figure is bound to have been shattered.

With registration for entries opening today for the important Olympic year of 2012, we have great pleasure in announcing our National and International charity partners as well as our six local charities.

		Charity		Charity
1.	National	NSPCC	1.	Local	Amaze
2.	International	Hope ForChildren	2.	Local	Albion in the Community
			3.	Local	St Barnabas House
			4.	Local	The Whitehawk Inn
			5.	Local	Raystede Centre for Animal Welfare
			6.	Local	RISE

Apart from raising valuable funds, charities can act as a lifeline for anyone who has missed out on a place in the race. All runners have to do is contact the charity of their choice listed on our website and start getting in shape for the big day on April 15th 2012.

Below can be found a short description of each charity and their website address.

The NSPCC’s purpose is to end cruelty to children. Our vision is of a society where all children are loved, valued and able to fulfil their potential. We seek to achieve cultural, social and political change – influencing legislation, policy, practice, attitudes and behaviours and delivering services for the benefit of all children and young people across the UK and Channel Islands. We rely on the generosity of the general public – including our amazing Brighton Marathon runners – to continue our work. Please click here to read more.

Hope for Children is a low cost charity focused on helping orphaned, poor and exploited children around the world. HOPE is a small charity which makes a big difference; no cause is too small, no effort too big. We keep our costs low so that as much as your donation as possible reaches disadvantaged children.

We help the children that the big charities overlook; We work with grass roots projects around the world and we aim to catch those who cannot get aid, support or assistance elsewhere. We really do offer hope to those who need it the most. Please click here to read more.

Amaze is a parent-led organisation which supports families who have a child with a disability or special need. The charity aims to empower parents by supporting them through the emotional and practical demands of getting the right services; finance, education, leisure and health care. This enables parents to expect and get the best for their children.

Amaze provides vital services, including; a telephone helpline, benefit and education advice, parent participation work, training, support groups, leisure opportunities, information and publications.
Read more about how the money raised through Brighton Marathon can help change the lives of families with disabled children. Please click here to read more.

Albion in the Community (AITC) is the charitable arm of Brighton & Hove Albion
Football Club. In 2009, across Sussex and beyond, and even overseas, more than 60,000 people (60,843 to be exact) directly benefited from our work.

Many clubs talk of being ‘community-minded,’ but few offer such a wide variety of social initiatives, including disability, education, health and social inclusion programmes. A host of national awards, including winning the Football League’s Best Community Project 2010, is testimony to the skill and hard work of our highly professional, dedicated staff. Improving the lives of thousands of people for the better is possible through the power of football. Our guiding ethos at AITC is to use the compelling attraction of football to promote education, healthy living and sporting achievement among people of all ages and abilities. Please click here to read more.

Raystede - We are the caring and experienced animal wellbeing charity that helps animals have better, happier lives – and we show people the best ways to look after them. Everything we do is focused on helping animals enjoy the best possible life and we are committed to helping people and animals enhance each others’ lives through care, compassion and respect.

To do this we rescue, rehabilitate and re-home animals and provide life-long sanctuary for those with nowhere else to go. We welcome visitors to Raystede and provide education and activities to teach them about animal welfare. Please click here to read more.

RISE - Living with or leaving an abusive situation is complex, sometimes dangerous, and never easy.

Domestic abuse affects 1 in 4 women in their lifetimes, and nearly three quarters of all children on the ‘at risk’ register live in homes where domestic violence occurs. Rise is a local charity working to help families affected by domestic abuse by providing refuge accommodation, helpline, housing, legal and financial advice, solicitors’ appointments, support groups, play therapy and one to one support. In 2009/10 Rise supported over 1000 families affected by domestic abuse. For more information see our website.

The Whitehawk Inn is no longer a pub but a community hub for employment support and learning, a community cafe and a resource centre. Open to all residents of Brighton, Hove and beyond, the project supports 700 people a year, all of whom want to improve the quality of their lives, many of whom need a helping hand to achieve that. We work with people to raise their expectations of living fulfilled and productive lives. We provide accessible opportunities locally then help people to take part. By supporting people to take their future into their own hands, we see them move forward in their lives, having a positive and inspiring effect on their families and friends. Please click here to read more.

St Barnabas House aims to provide high quality specialist palliative care to adults with advanced progressive life-limiting illnesses, both within the hospice and in patients’ homes, across the Worthing, Adur, Arun and Henfield areas. Services include pain control, symptom relief, respite care, end of life care, counselling and spiritual support, complimentary therapies, physiotherapy and bereavement support. It costs nearly £4 million each year to run the hospice and patients are never charged for their care. Only a small part of these costs are funded by the government, the rest is raised through voluntary donations from the local community. Please click here to read more.

Mayo Wynne Baxter Corporate Challenge Winners

The clear winners of the inaugural Corporate Challenge at the Brighton Marathon 2011 were Ricardo UK Limited.

Led home by Richard Penning (No.2832) they comfortably scooped first prize with an aggregate time of 10hrs25min48sec from their three scoring runners.

In second place was the University of Sussex on 10hrs39min38sec and third was BUPA International with 10hrs52min25sec.

Ricardo is a leading global provider of product innovation, engineering solutions, clean technology and strategic consulting.

The UK arm has offices in Shoreham, Leamington Spa and Cambridge, but Ricardo spans the globe from the USA to Europe and China.

Appropriately, lead runner Penning was also the fastest of all the medallists, crossing the line in an excellent 3hrs10min27sec to finish in 104th position overall.

“This inaugural Mayo Wynne Baxter Corporate Challenge was really well supported by Sussex companies and will undoubtedly get a lot bigger in years to come. Having the support and interest of company colleagues through the build-up period, establishing pride in your company team, giving your colleagues on race day someone to cheer on, and having a great day yourself, are all rolled into one with this concept.” said Brighton Marathon Race Director Tim Hutchings.

Mayo Wynne Baxter is one of the leading law firms in the South-East with close to 200 staff manning its offices in Sussex.

The Firm also acts as the Official Legal Partner of the Brighton Marathon.

Saucony Stanmer Park Summer Races

Hot on the heels of the second edition of the Brighton Marathon which took place earlier this month and alongside the launch of registration for next year’s marathon in April 2012, race organisers Grounded Events are pressing ahead with a new summer race event in Stanmer Park on Sunday 26th June 2011.

Like the marathon, the new event, sponsored by Saucony and Northern Flags, is aimed at all levels of runners and comprises a mass run over 8km, a series of children’s races, and a family run over 1km. Two separate elite races over 5 miles are also part of the event programme.

Shelley Tregidga, Events Manager of Grounded Events, explained: “Following the success of the first two marathons, we are keen to capture the spirit of the running boom in the city and hope that this new event will give existing and would-be runners a goal for getting or staying fit through the summer.”

An early-bird discounted entry of £10/adult and £5/child is available for those registering by 30th April, with all early registrants getting the chance to win an Olympus digital camera and free tickets to the Elton John concert at Sussex County Ground on the evening of Sunday 26th June. More entry details can be found at www.stanmerparkraces.co.uk

For more information contact:
Press Officer Michael Butcher
Tel. 08453 100088
Email: info@brightonmarathon.co.uk