New BrightTEN running event

Brighton Beach hosted, for the first time yesterday, Sunday, a ‘BrighTEN (Brighton) Seafront Run’ organised by UK Running Events Ltd. The company describes itself as specialising in mass participation running events across the UK. It’s most well-known for managing ‘Inflatable 5k’, ‘the world’s largest inflatable obstacle race’. This has already been put on in more than 20 locations around the country - and will be coming to Brighton in October.

More than a 1,000 people took part in yesterday’s run, an event ‘designed to help participants kickstart their New Year resolutions and to include scenic routes past landmarks such as the historical Burnt Down Pier, the iconic i360 Tower, and the Hove Promenade’. Indeed, the run routes - 10 mile and 10 km - took in more or less the whole extent of Brighton Beach starting and finishing on Hove Lawns. The 10 mile run was won by Sam Cook with a time of 55:15 while James Brewster and Lewis Reeves came second and third respectively. The 10 km was won by Joe Halter with a time of 36:51.

UK Running Events Ltd was founded in 2016, and currently has two directors: Martin James Barden and Jayne Louise Barden. Its estimated turnover as of December 2023 was given as £282,000. Two further events for Brighton are planned this year: Trail runs (through the South Downs and along the coast) of 50 mile, 50 km and 23 km, on 13 September; and the Inflatable 5K on 18 October. (‘Run Rebel’ - as in the photo of yesterday’s podium - appears to be a brand name for the company’s trail runs.)

Assuming BrighTEN continues to operate next year, it will join a growing list of annual running events in the city. These include Brighton Marathon (April), Brighton Half Marathon (March), and Race for Life Brighton (June).