APRIL 2022: Over the last eight years, I have had the pleasure of meeting and interviewing a wide spectrum of interesting personalities, each with some connection to the running scene in Brighton & Hove – all logged in the Stories & Interviews section of the RunBrighton website. There have been beginners, Olympians, coaches, club captains, […]

MARCH 2022: Louise Serpell only took up running four years ago, having done relatively little exercise since she had her first child, in 2002. She has gradually progressed and has set herself the challenge of running Brighton Marathon next month. To prepare, she signed up for RunBrighton’s winter 2021/22 training. Having well-and-truly caught the running […]

FEBRUARY 2022: Alison Kuy has faced some major life challenges over the years, and has found that running has really helped her to proactively manage her mental health. She first joined RunBrighton, for our winter 2019/20 season, and is currently training with us, each Sunday, having set herself the goal of completing the Brighton Half […]

JANUARY 2022: Dani Battersby first joined RunBrighton for our winter 2018/19 training. She was relatively new to running back then, and has since gone on to complete ultra-distance events and triathlons too. She has also recently begun helping out as an ambassador on our Sunday training runs. Have you always been quite active, Dani? Having […]

DECEMBER 2021: Graham Ashdown has been a member of Brighton & Hove AC since the 1960s… well, actually Brighton AC as it was known until 1966. He was one of the first runners I met when I moved to Brighton and joined the club myself in 1996, and he is now the club’s president. Sadly, […]

NOVEMBER 2021: Tony Adams has been training for many years with RunBrighton. He was in the official pace team for the Brighton Half Marathon, in October, and I am delighted that he is now joining our ambassador team this winter. Have you always been a keen runner, and have you been involved in other sports […]

OCTOBER 2021: Beth Thomas-Hancock has trained with RunBrighton, on and off, since 2012. Along the way, she has run three marathons, and now, after some time out, Beth is back with us, regaining fitness at a sensible pace, on our Autumn Introduction to Running course. How did you first get into running, Beth? It had […]

SEPTEMBER 2021: Melanie King joined RunBrighton for our recent summer training, ahead of running Brighton Marathon – her first marathon – earlier this month. And, in doing so, fundraised for Macmillan Cancer Support, a charity close to her heart. Mel, congratulations on completing your first marathon. What specifically inspired you to do it? This year […]

AUGUST 2021: Sophie Jackson joined RunBrighton’s Introduction to Running course, October 2018, and has been a regular in our marathon training group, ever since. In a couple of weeks’ time, Sophie will be taking on her third ultra event, clearly having caught the running bug! When you joined our Introduction to Running course, Sophie, was […]

JULY 2021: For most runners, it’s a constant learning curve, as we look for ways to make training and preparation more efficient, and get the best out of race day. At 64, Mike Gibbons has completed a range of marathons, and has also represented his country at the Duathlon World Championships. And he’s been a […]

JUNE 2021: Toby Merrett joined RunBrighton for several, back-to-back seasons before becoming an ambassador this year. It has not all been an easy ride, though, as he has had to battle through serious illness and a major operation… proving that, if you put your mind to it and train sensibly, health setbacks don’t necessarily mean […]

MAY 2021: Paul McGregor joined RunBrighton for our winter 2016/17 training and has been a regular ever since. What’s more, he has the furthest to travel, of all our members, for our Sunday morning runs, coming down from Epsom in Surrey each week. Quite a commitment, and definitely one of the family now! In the […]

APRIL 2021: At the recent Olympic Marathon trials in Kew Gardens, Ian Leitch of Brighton Phoenix became the UK’s fastest ever M45 runner, and also set a new marathon record for his club. His time, 2:17:26. But not only has Ian had success in his running; he is also an awesome cyclist! Ian, congratulations on […]

MARCH 2021: Roger Smith first joined RunBrighton at the age of 74, for our 2019/20 winter training, and returned for our 2020/21 winter training, which was of course hampered by lockdown. Having turned 75 last May, he has just signed up to run with us again this summer. What are your earliest memories of running, […]

FEBRUARY 2021: Ruth Farnell has joined RunBrighton for most of our summer and winter seasons since 2015. She also runs for Vegan Runners, and has recently launched her own event, the Hugletts Half Marathon, which takes place this April. Ruth, I understand you got into running quite late in life. How did it come about? […]

JANUARY 2021: Martina Pickin only took up running at the age of 63. She signed up for RunBrighton’s winter 2019/20 training, and went on to join us for summer 2020 and winter 2020/21. Following a minor, injury setback, she is now back to running, building up the mileage again. How are you now, Martina? Are […]

DECEMBER 2020: Rick Evans, of Arena 80, is one of the awesome foursome who run the Watchmaker’s Arms micropub in Hove. He has also been a RunBrighton ambassador for the last 10 years. Running and beer – a good combination, Rick? I would say so, Mike. I think that running, and other exercise, earns you […]

NOVEMBER 2020: I’m delighted that Mary Henderson of Arena 80 has agreed to come back to RunBrighton as an ambassador this winter. We’re chuffed to have Mary’s support, not only because of her running experience; she has also been providing our members with advice on nutrition. Mary, firstly, where did your running begin? Have you […]

OCTOBER 2020: If you’ve been in the Sussex running community, any time over the last couple of decades, there’s a good chance you’ll be familiar with the name Stuart Mills. Stuart, originally from New Zealand, is based near Uckfield and now runs for Uckfield Runners, but for many years competed for Brighton & Hove AC. […]

SEPTEMBER 2020: Tom Niner’s running progression is quite remarkable. He only properly discovered running three years ago, at the age of 25, and earlier this month reached the heats in the 800m at the British Championships. He represents Brighton & Hove AC, and trains with the local AB Training Group. Tom, first of all, congratulations […]

AUGUST 2020: Maddy Robbins only got into running seriously over the last couple of years. She’s been training regularly with RunBrighton, and is about to take on her first marathon, this October. What sport and exercise did you do when you were younger, Maddy? I was never particularly sporty as a child, always quite keen […]

JULY 2020: Nigel Meager began running relatively late in life. He’s since been a regular with RunBrighton and, during lockdown, has kept himself fit by running for over 100 consecutive days. Nigel, I understand you only took up running in the last few years. When did you start and what prompted it? Yes, I started […]

JUNE 2020: Mark Brocklehurst is pretty well-known on the Brighton & Hove running scene, particularly from working on several of the parkruns within the city. With several marathons planned, all surrounded in uncertainty because of the coronavirus pandemic, Mark remains hopeful that they will go ahead, and he continues to train towards them. Where did […]

MAY 2020: It’s always a pleasure to have Randall Joy-Camacho join our RunBrighton group runs… whenever he doesn’t have to work on a Sunday morning. He first joined us in 2014 and has been a regular ever since. Randall openly describes himself as fragile and vulnerable, a consequence of childhood traumas, and finds running can […]

APRIL 2020: Liz Ollosson has trained regularly with RunBrighton, over the last three years. A Radiotherapy Radiographer at The Sussex Cancer Centre in Brighton, Liz is currently facing the challenges of working on the front line. Liz, I understand you’ve always kept yourself pretty fit, swimming as well as a running. Which came first? I […]

MARCH 2020: I first met Christianne Whitfield on a Friday evening, back in the summer of 2017, in Brighton Bierhaus. We got chatting and, despite not having done any running at all at that point, a few months later she signed up to RunBrighton’s winter training. And she’s joined us regularly since then. As a […]

FEBRUARY 2020: Dave Knight (Brighton & Hove AC) was the first ever winner of the Brighton Half Marathon, completing the original course, in 1990, in a time of 1hr07. After many years away from competitive running, he’s returning at the age of 55 to take part in the 30th anniversary of the event, 23rd February […]

JANUARY 2020: Paula Chessell is a longstanding member of RunBrighton. She is also on the Brighton & Hove parkrun core team as volunteer coordinator and regular tail-walker. RunBrighton, as official training partner of the Grand Brighton Half Marathon, organises their pace team, and  I was chuffed when Paula recently agreed to be one of the […]

DECEMBER 2019: Dewi Richards is a phenomenal athlete. He used to run as a way of keeping fit for his main sport, motocross, in which he competed at international level. Despite running being a secondary sport, he still ran a marathon in 2hrs25. After breaking his back during motocross, he decided to ignore medical advice […]

NOVEMBER 2019: RunBrighton regular, Mark Norman, ran a marathon PB earlier this month in New York with a time of 3hrs12mins… at the age of 57. I am delighted that Mark has also recently agreed to be an ambassador for RunBrighton this winter. Mark, first of all, congratulations on a great performance in New York. […]

OCTOBER 2019: Tom Evans (Lewes AC) has been selected to represent Team GB, this November, at the World Mountain Running Championships in Argentina. This is Tom’s second big target race of the year; in June, he competed in his first ever 100-miler, the incredibly challenging Western States 100 in the U.S. Not only did he […]

SEPTEMBER 2019: Well known to many on the Brighton & Hove running scene, Georgia Carrick is usually to be found on Hove Prom on a Saturday morning, where she is a member of the parkrun core team. With numerous races up to marathon distance in the bag, Georgia has not allowed serious illness to hold […]

AUGUST 2019: In a Sussex cross-country league match at Goodwood in 2016, Kevin Moore, originally from Tipperary, Ireland, finished in 4th place. AB Training Group’s Howard Bristow and James Turner got chatting to Kevin and invited him to join their training sessions. He quickly gelled with the group and his running has gone from strength […]

JULY 2019: Last Saturday, at the European under-20 Championships, in Boras, Sweden, Amber Anning (Brighton & Hove AC) ran a lifetime best 400m, in 52.18 seconds. This was the fastest time for a British under-20 woman in 37 years… and it secured Amber a silver medal. She now moves to number three on the British […]

JUNE 2019: Tim Woodman not only has a full-time career, running his own business, Management Learning & Coaching, he somehow finds the time to train for triathlons up to Ironman distance, for which he represents Team GB. He’s one of our RunBrighton ambassadors, regularly supporting our Sunday group training runs, and he’s also agreed to […]

MAY 2019: Although Lorna Jenkins has always been quite active, unexpected setbacks during and after childbirth has meant taking her running right back to basics. I’m delighted that she decided to join RunBrghton’s Spring 2019 Introduction to Running course. Lorna, what was the extent of your running or other sport, prior to joining RunBrighton? I was […]

APRIL 2019: Paul Navesey runs for Crawley AC, and trains in Brighton with Allison Benton’s AB Training group. You might recognise his name as the winner of this year’s Grand Brighton Half Marathon. Paul has been making giant leaps forward, of late, over a range of distances, and is in fine form as he makes […]

MARCH 2019: I was delighted when Mike Gratton asked me to help out at this year’s 2:09 Events’ training camp in the Algarve; even more so when I discovered that Mara Yamauchi was also to be part of his team out there. Mara finished 6th in the marathon at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Her PB, […]

FEBUARY 2019: In May last year, Paul Saker, who has trained with RunBrighton for several seasons, underwent a major operation, giving up a kidney to donate to his wife, Dee. This Sunday, he’s running the Brighton Half Marathon. Paul, what was the background to Dee’s condition, necessitating a kidney transplant? Unfortunately, Dee suffers from rheumatoid […]

JANUARY 2019: Louise Bartha is currently enjoying her third training season with RunBrighton, this time in preparation for London Marathon 2019. She originally won a ballot place for London 2018 but, unfortunately, a diagnosis of skin cancer prevented her from getting stuck into the necessary training over the preceding winter, hence deferring to this spring. […]

DECEMBER 2018: Will Cork is a man on a mission. Having only got into competitive running quite recently, his parkrun PB (completed on Hove Prom) is now down to 15:30. And last Saturday he finished 10th in the South of the Thames Cross Country Championships, representing the winning team, Brighton & Hove AC. Will, firstly, […]

NOVEMBER 2018: Fran Taylor, who goes by the name The Brighton Nutritionist, not only has heaps of experience providing nutrition advice to runners, she is also a runner herself. I was chuffed when she agreed to present at our forthcoming RunBrighton seminar. We recently met up for a chat in a Hove café. Fran had […]

OCTOBER 2018: Samantha Ridley joined RunBrighton for our summer 2017 training, ahead of Chicago Marathon in the October, and has since been a regular on our Sunday morning runs. I remember her telling me, when we first met, that she was working towards completing the six ‘marathon majors’. At that point, she had already done […]

SEPTEMBER 2018: Having completed several seasons training with RunBrighton, and recently having completed the Leadership in Running Fitness course with England Athletics, I was chuffed when Chloe Garrett told me she wanted to help support our training group this coming winter. Chloe, firstly, perhaps you can tell us a bit about yourself. How do you […]

AUGUST 2018: Chris Arnold of Arena 80 has been training with RunBrighton for the last 9 years, and has been a RunBrighton ambassador since 2014. Having completed 10 marathons to date, he is currently preparing for his longest run yet, the Downslink Ultra (35 miles). What is particularly impressive about taking on such distance, is […]

JULY 2018: Last December, I received an email from Liz Pemberton. Her husband, Mark, was an existing RunBrighton member. Liz had got in touch with me, as she wanted to arrange a place for Mark on our spring training camp in the Algarve, as a Christmas present for him. Liz, herself, was not a runner. […]

JUNE 2018: At Brighton’s Withdean Stadium in 1968, Chris Carter ran 800m in 1:47.5, setting a stadium record. At the recent Phoenix Open meeting, 30th May 2018, despite a talented field in the ‘A’ race, the 1968 time could not be beaten. Chris’s record has now stood for 50 years. Two years before setting the […]

MAY 2018: Although not a complete beginner, Sue Adair had been forced to take a long period out of running, owing to injury, and had to effectively start back from scratch. Our Introduction to Running course was formed to accommodate not just beginners, but anyone doing minimal running and wanting to progress, as well as […]

APRIL 2018: Brighton Marathon 2017 was hot – very hot. Everyone’s times were down that year, as it had been impossible to prepare, over the winter in Brighton, for such challenging race-day conditions. I remember Catherine Cheeseman’s disappointment, having yet again made an attempt on sub-4hrs, to finish in 4:02. Surely, given a cooler day, […]

MARCH 2018: I first met David Kemp when we were both training for the 2011 Berlin Marathon. We became great friends straight away. David’s daughter, Josie, had recently been diagnosed with a particularly rare form of cancer, and what struck me immediately was the unwavering strength that ran through the family. We’ve been room-mates for […]

FEBRUARY 2018: When Paul Pollock announced that he was planning to come down to race the Grand Brighton Half Marathon, there were pretty good odds that this would be our 2018 winner. In 2016, Paul was the first Irishman to cross the marathon finish line at the Rio Olympic Games. The best time in the […]

JANUARY 2018: If you want to know anything about running a marathon, speak to Jan Lavis. Not only a running coach, she has just completed her 100th marathon. We first met when I was organising the pacers for the 2017 Brighton Marathon. I was short of a 5-hour pacer, and RunBrighton ambassador Brigitte Groves suggested […]

DECEMBER 2017: Not so new anymore, but since joining RunBrighton at the start of the winter 2016/17 season, David Gillies has regularly received a mention in ambassador Brigitte’s blog, as “New David”. Recently having retired from a senior-management career, and one of our older RunBrighton members, New David took up running at a relatively late […]

NOVEMBER 2017: Clearly a natural talent – could it be the Kenyan genes? – Tom Ireland completed the April 2016 Brighton Marathon in 2hrs44. And that was without (at his own admission) a structured training plan. He’s a regular at Hove Promenade parkrun on a Saturday morning, and often helps out there as a pacer. […]

OCTOBER 2017: Ruth Maughan signed up to RunBrighton for our Summer 2016 training, subsequently stuck around for Winter 2016/17 and Summer 2017, and is now ready to get stuck into Winter 2017/18. Hindered, initially, by ongoing knee problems, Ruth took our advice and began a regular strength & conditioning regime, rather than just running. And, […]

SEPTEMBER 2017: Back in early 2017, I was made aware of a 24-hour relay event, to be organised by Grounded Events, who also organise Brighton Marathon. They were to put on a Ragnar Relay race that has had huge success across a range of locations in North America. Wouldn’t it be great, I thought, if […]

AUGUST 2017: Helena Tobin might well have good running genes, but the success that she has achieved has not come purely from raw talent – she knows how to train hard! Helena, I know all your family have always been involved in athletics. I guess you therefore got into running at an early age. What’s […]

JULY 2017: Darren Teague is a Strength & Conditioning Coach. He has worked, not just with runners, but with men and women from a variety of sports. Although still helping a range of clients in Brighton on a one-to-one basis, most of Darren’s time these days is spent in his capacity as UK Distributor for […]

JUNE 2017: Jason Best joined RunBrighton in November 2015, to train for Brighton Marathon, and hasn’t missed a season with us since. He also came along on our Algarve training camp this March. Definitely a part of the RunBrighton family now and, with his running going from strength to strength, I met up with Jason […]

MAY 2017: On Friday, 28th April, Steve Scott, Kevin Bush, Dave Rogers, Chris Mallinson, Neil Walford and I (Brian Friend) flew out of Gatwick to have a run around Italy. This is basically our Sunday morning training group that also has its own little table, apres parkrun, in Hove Park, that normal runners view with curiosity and […]

APRIL 2017: The name RUN is about as minimalist as the store itself. Whenever I walk into the RUN shop on Blatchington Road in Hove, I feel an immediate sense of calm, often with light classical music playing in the background. Rather than be bombarded with heaps of stock and a hard sell, what you […]

MARCH 2017: Gosh, that went quick! Another week in the Algarve.  Over in a flash and I’m already looking forward to the next one. It was three years ago that I first had the idea to set up a RunBrighton warm-weather training camp. But I subsequently discovered a camp already set up, run by 2:09 […]

FEBRUARY 2017: Later this month, the Brighton Half Marathon will be staged for the 28th time. Heading up the organising team are cousins Martin Harrigan (Race Director) and David Hill (Event Director). It’s a charity event, raising the profile of, and, more importantly, raising funds for, Sussex Beacon. The two have been managing the event, which […]

JANUARY 2017: I only met Emily Hutchinson for the first time, last autumn. It was just after the challenging, off-road, Beachy Head Marathon. Travelling back to Brighton with Emily after that race, her Arena 80 clubmate and RunBrighton ambassador Andy Waters called me to say he thought Emily would make a great ambassador herself. I […]

DECEMBER 2016: Since I first met James Turner, two years ago, I have taken a keen interest in his progression as a runner. Back in the days of there being a lead bike at parkrun in Hove Park, I regularly took on the role. And it was a great opportunity to spot up-and-coming talent at […]

NOVEMBER 2016: Last Saturday morning, in Hove Park Café, post parkrun, I found myself chatting to a delightful couple who had just moved to Hove. Mike and Christine Gibbons were clearly running enthusiasts, keen to find out about the local running scene in the Brighton & Hove area. It transpired that Christine was appointed last […]

OCTOBER 2016: Matt Bartsch is well known, throughout Brighton and Hove, for having run Riptide gym for the last couple of decades. It was a sad day for all involved when, at very short notice, his incredibly successful set-up adjacent to the beach, at the foot of West Street, was forced to close. Its roof […]

SEPTEMBER 2016: Lisa Smith-Wallace is one of those runners who seems to get a huge kick out of supporting and encouraging others, particularly those complete beginners who are daunted at the prospect of taking up their newfound sport. And she still seems to find time to fit in the training required to prepare for races […]

AUGUST 2016: I first met Joe Ashley when he was training with RunBrighton over the 2013/14 winter season, preparing for Brighton Marathon, which he went on to complete in 3:04. His ability as a marathoner, for someone relatively new to running, combined with his keenness to support others, led to his agreement to be a […]

JULY 2016: I know many people who have taken on the challenge of running a marathon as one of those must-do things that you have to tick off at some point in your life. And a fair few of those who have embarked on such a challenge with a once-only mind-set have been unable to […]

JUNE 2016: David Hull has regularly signed up to RunBrighton membership for our summer & winter training, going back to when we originally formed in 2010. And, at 68, he is currently the oldest runner in the group. No matter how much jip his knees give him, he is always to be seen running with […]

MAY 2016: Ray Matthews of Brighton Phoenix is on course for being only the second runner in the 50-54 category to break 17 minutes for Brighton & Hove parkrun (current best, 17:07), second only to Olympian Richard Nerurkar. He is convinced that the recent improvement in his performance is, in no small part, down to […]

APRIL 2016: You may be forgiven for thinking Karen Amsden looks less like a runner and more like she belongs on stage as the frontwoman of a punk band. Actually, she is both. Karen has been jumping around on stage since her teens, and is the lead singer in punk band Hagar the Womb. The […]

MARCH 2016: Last Autumn, we announced the dates of RunBrighton’s Spring 2016 warm-weather training camp with 2:09 Events in the Algarve… 10th – 17th March. This followed the success of the March 2015 trip, and the desire to return for more of the same! But RunBrighton’s Irish contingent immediately spotted a problem; we’d be flying back on […]

FEBRUARY 2016: I can’t think of any other runner who has progressed at such a phenomenal rate as Howard Bristow of Brighton & Hove AC. Albeit already pretty fit from a background of mountain biking, Howard only started running 8 years ago at the age of 33. He completed the Brighton 10k in 37:25. Howard’s […]

JANUARY 2016: If you’re relatively new to the running scene in Brighton, you may be forgiven for not knowing the name Hugh Foord. But you should know that, of the thousands of runners across the city over the years, there are few who have been around, running and competing, for as long as Hugh. And […]

DECEMBER 2015: Just before Christmas, RunBrighton Ambassador Darren (Daz) Avery completed his 12th marathon this year. What makes this so impressive is that last year he was off running for several months, owing to a stress fracture in his heel. Furthermore, Daz hasn’t always been into running; in fact, up until a few years ago […]

NOVEMBER 2015: In the 1980s, Tim Hutchings (pictured right, just ahead of Steve Ovett), who was predominantly a 1500m, 5000m & cross-country runner, earned himself medals at the European Championships, the Commonwealth Games and the World Cross-Country Championships. He also finished fourth in the 1984 Olympic Games. Nowadays, he is an established TV commentator covering […]

OCTOBER 2015: Emily Proto completed her first marathon in Brighton in April 2011, in a time of 3hrs59. In the Florence Marathon, November 2012, she ran 2hrs59. In the build-up to Brighton Marathon this year, all of Emily’s training suggested she would run inside 2hrs50. Unfortunately, she landed awkwardly when stepping off a curb in […]

SEPTEMBER 2015: Often, when I have an evening in, I find myself flicking through the TV channels and stop flicking when I get to ‘8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown’. Knowing that it features Joe Wilkinson, there will be no immediately apparent reason why I should turn off and go for a run. Over […]

AUGUST 2015: I first met Gary McKivett when he was training with RunBrighton over the winter 13/14 in preparation for Brighton Marathon. Reflecting back on that season, my feeling is that he blended in well – one of a large number of runners all going about getting themselves ready to complete the 26.2 mile course […]

JULY 2015: Richard Carter has been involved with Brighton & Hove Athletics Club for the last four decades. In his teens he ran for his country.  Since then, he has gone on to coach some of the club’s elite distance runners and, more recently, has switched to coaching children. He was instrumental in the establishment […]

JUNE 2015: You’d be forgiven for thinking they could be Siamese twins. But no. Brigitte Groves and Michele Saunders are just a couple of best mates who share a passion for running and for giving up inordinate amounts of their time to support other runners. Both current active members of Arena 80, Brigitte and Michele […]

MAY 2015: It’s 11am, Monday 18th May. I’m in a 16-seater minibus on the M4. Wales behind us, we’re now en route back home, everyone dreaming of a good sports massage and of a restful night in our own beds. The seat in front of me is occupied by a bike, others piled high with […]

APRIL 2015: Could Rosie Gasson be a name to look out for in the future? And perhaps not just in local running circles but at a higher level? Rosie is currently the fastest 8-year-old at parkrun in Sussex. She has won a number of local cross-country races and has just come second in her under-11 […]

MARCH 2015: Annie Broe joined up with RunBrighton for the first time this winter and has fully immersed herself in training for this year’s Brighton Marathon, attending all but one of the long Sunday runs. But it only came to light a couple of weeks ago what Annie has been through prior to embarking on […]

FEBRUARY 2015: This winter’s Sussex Cross-Country Championships, which took place at the beginning of January in Bexhill, attracted a number of class athletes. The fastest on the day was Jon Pepper of Brighton Phoenix (Athletics and Triathlon Club). And three weeks later, in the South of England Cross-Country Championships, he came an impressive 3rd, just […]

JANUARY 2015: Caroline Wood of Brighton’s Arena 80 has just clocked her 100th parkrun victory, only the third person in the UK to do so. And at 51 this makes her the oldest runner to reach such a tally. In the last 4 years, Caroline has twice been selected to run for her country. On […]

DECEMBER 2014: Graham Godden, at 46, is a man on a mission. Until June 2013, his name was unfamiliar to everyone on the Brighton & Hove running scene. Just 18 months on and with 21 Brighton and Hove parkrun wins under his belt, people now start asking questions if he doesn’t show up on a […]

NOVEMBER 2014: It’s 9am in Preston Park Velodrome and there’s a distinct sense of calm-before-the-storm! The course mark-out was started a couple of hours earlier, thousands of bottles of water stacked at the finish line, tea tent erected, inflatable arch inflated, sound system plugged in, radios tested… A plethora of volunteers from City College are […]

OCTOBER 2014: Brighton & Hove has churned out some great athletes over the years, but not many to the standard of Charlie Grice. Every result he has produced so far would suggest we are witnessing the city’s best athletic product since Olympic Gold Medallist, Steve Ovett. Ironically, Charlie represents Brighton Phoenix, which was co-founded (originally […]

SEPTEMBER 2014: Throughout the 2013/14 winter, Carol Kennedy regularly turned out for RunBrighton’s long Sunday run, in training for this year’s Brighton Marathon. Not at all deterred by the cold, the strong winds and the driving rain, she battled on over hilly terrain, determined to get fit enough to fulfil her objective of competing the […]

AUGUST 2014: In April this year, at the age of 13, Almi Nerurkar won the under-15 category of the Brighton Marathon Mini Mile in a time of 5 minutes and 29 seconds. A week later she proved she was no one-hit-wonder as she proceeded to win the Virgin London Mini Marathon over 3 miles in […]

JULY 2014: The first time I heard the name Dan Lawson was in the context of him having run Brighton Marathon, immediately preceded by him having run the Brighton Marathon course in reverse, immediately preceded by him having run the Brighton Marathon course, immediately preceded by him having run the Brighton Marathon course in reverse!!!! […]

JUNE 2014: It’s the 17th May 2014 and it’s shaping up to be the hottest day of the year so far. On Hove sea front promenade and spilling out onto the adjacent lawns, I’m surrounded by Supermen, Spidermen, Wonder Women, escaped convicts, vagabonds and a plethora of other heroes and villains. They’re all on the verge […]

MAY 2014: London Marathon day. 13th April 2014. It was an early start. And the moment my 4 hour drunken sleep was rudely and abruptly disturbed by my 6.45am alarm, I immediately realised my error. I had stupidly arranged RunBrighton’s monthly social bash (and post-Brighton-Marathon celebrations) the night before. At the end of our evening in […]

APRIL 2014: If you find yourself on the sidelines of this Sunday’s Brighton Marathon, and you see a runner wearing number 5050, please give her a special cheer. In fact, shout Happy Birthday! It’s not just any birthday though – it’s her 50th! But that’s not all. It’s her 50th marathon. Yes, that’s right, she’s […]

MARCH 2014: Sometime in the Summer of 2013 I was chatting with a mate who’d just completed a ‘brutal’ off-road cycle circuit of the hills around Lewes. He jabbered excitedly about the severity of the hills, the muddy trails, how you could see the whole course laid out before you from key points along the […]

FEBRUARY 2014: Dimosthenis Evangelidis – or Dimos the Destroyer as he’s affectionately known amongst his club mates – has been demonstrating what an asset he is to Brighton & Hove City AC. When I say ‘club mates’, I should really use Dimos’s favoured description of his training group as ‘his running brothers’; in fact he’s […]

JANUARY 2014: I first met Danny on a Saturday morning in March 2013 in Hove Park Cafe. He’d just done Parkrun, completing the 5km course in 17 minutes 50 seconds. Not bad, I thought! Sub 18 minutes is a respectable time. I was surprised not to have met him before. Having myself been on the […]