Brighton Marathon Weekend partnership with University of Brighton provides opportunities for students

Organised by London Marathon Events (LME), the Brighton Marathon Weekend comprises the third largest marathon in the UK, a 10K and a free mile event. The University of Brighton has 18,000 students and 2,000 staff and is creating a range of new facilities for sport and health subjects at its Falmer campus ready for September 2024.

The partnership begins for this year’s event, which takes place on Saturday 6 and Sunday 7 April, and includes the 2025 and 2026 editions.

As part of the agreement, LME will offer University of Brighton students work placement, shadowing and volunteering opportunities at the Brighton Marathon Weekend.

The university offers a range of courses across sport and health subjects, as well as sport management and sports journalism. The partnership with LME will provide a range of opportunities for students with an interest in working in the sports events industry in the future.

Professor Debra Humphris CBE, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Brighton, said: "This partnership with LME is great news for our students, who will be able to get involved in one of the city’s biggest and most high-profile sports events. We’re really excited about the opportunities for them to put the skills and knowledge they’ve learned with us into practice, and to experience the power and value of sport as a force for positive change.

“Employability is woven into all our courses, and every Brighton student is encouraged to learn by going on an industry placement, an internship or by volunteering. Our collaboration with LME is another example of how our links with employers locally and nationally benefit our students so they can go on to find work that excites and rewards them.”

Participants at the Brighton Marathon Weekend will also benefit from the partnership, with students helping to add local knowledge and passion to the volunteer groups and helping to add to the atmosphere along the route with extra cheer zones. The University of Brighton will also provide extra parking for participants seeking park and ride options on Marathon Day.

University of Brighton will also be attending the free Brighton Miles events, encouraging their sports teams to take part, and offering engaging activities in the festival zone.

Joe Carter, event lead for the Brighton Marathon Weekend, said: “We’re focused on creating impactful partnerships for the Brighton Marathon Weekend, so we’re delighted to be working with University of Brighton. We’re already looking at some great work placement and volunteering opportunities across the event for students and are engaging with the university’s incredible School of Sport and Health Sciences and Sport Brighton. We’re excited to develop this partnership over the next three years and really make a positive impact for the event, the university and Brighton community.”

The 2024 Brighton Marathon Weekend returns on Saturday 6 April with the Brighton Miles, which was recently revamped into a free event open to everyone. Entries are free, and people can sign up here.

The weekend of events then finishes on Sunday 7 April with the BM10K and eponymous Brighton Marathon. The BM10K sets off first from Hove Lawns and has participants complete a 10k route along the coast. Entries are still open for £39.99.

Shortly after the start of the BM10K, the sold-out Brighton Marathon begins from Preston Park. The UK’s third largest marathon, participants are taken from city to coast and past all of Brighton’s most iconic landmarks.