Brighton and Manchester Marathon Training Plans 2027: Courses, Entry Dates and When to Start
Published September 2026 | Written by Andy Hood
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April is quite the month for UK running. Brighton kicks it off on the 4th, Manchester follows on the 18th, and London closes it out with race weekend on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 April. I'm running the Sunday.
A feature of the last few weeks has been friends, online and off, asking what training plan they should follow for Brighton or for Manchester. Both land in a similar window to London, and everyone's asking the same thing: when do I actually start, and does it matter which race I'm running?
Short answer: yes, it matters, and a generic plan off the internet won't tell you why. Here's the detail on both races first.
If you're here just for the training plan: I use Runna, download the app and use promo code ANDY2 for my exclusive double-length free trial. More on why, further down.
In This Article
Brighton Marathon 2027: Date, Entry and When Your Training Plan Should Start
Manchester Marathon 2027: Date, Entry and When Your Training Plan Should Start
Brighton Marathon Training Plan vs Manchester Marathon Training Plan: How the Courses Differ
Why a Generic Training Plan Doesn't Work for Brighton or Manchester
Brighton Marathon 2027: Date, Entry and When Your Training Plan Should Start
Brighton Marathon 2027 takes place on Sunday 4 April, starting at Preston Park and finishing on Hove Lawns.
General entry opened on 12 April 2026 via the Brighton Marathon Weekend site. Brighton sold out for 2026, and history says these places don't hang around, so if you haven't entered yet, check the official site directly before you assume you're too late. Several charity partners still have guaranteed places available too, typically £30 to £75 entry with a £350 to £500 minimum sponsorship, with registration deadlines running into late October 2026. That route is worth it even if you'd rather not fundraise. A guaranteed place is a guaranteed place.
Counting back from race day: a 16-week Brighton training plan starts the week of Monday 14 December 2026. A 20-week plan starts the week of Monday 16 November 2026. If this is your first marathon, take the 20 weeks. The extra month is gentler progression, not extra hard work, and it's the difference between arriving fresh and arriving carrying a niggle you picked up in February.
Manchester Marathon 2027: Date, Entry and When Your Training Plan Should Start
Manchester Marathon 2027 takes place on Sunday 18 April, starting near Old Trafford and finishing on Oxford Road outside the University of Manchester.
I'll be straight with you here: general entry is closed. Priority access opened at noon on 20 April 2026, public entry the next day, and over 48,000 people entered before it sold out. If you're searching for a way in now, charity places are genuinely your only route. A handful of partner charities still have allocations, with deadlines as late as 9 November 2026, typically £40 to £100 entry plus a £400 to £500 fundraising minimum.
Manchester sits two weeks after Brighton, so the training plan dates shift accordingly: a 16-week Manchester training plan starts the week of Monday 28 December 2026. A 20-week plan starts the week of Monday 30 November 2026.
Brighton Marathon Training Plan vs Manchester Marathon Training Plan: How the Courses Differ
Both get sold as "flat and fast," and both are, relatively. But they're not the same race, and that matters for what your training plan should actually contain.
Brighton | Manchester | |
Elevation | ~145m / 477ft climbing | ~54m / 177ft, UK's flattest marathon |
Where the hills are | Front-loaded: miles 1, 7, 9, 11 | Barely anywhere |
Second half | Flat, exposed seafront, Channel wind | Flat throughout, rural Trafford/Cheshire wind |
Best suited to | Runners who can front-load hill effort, then hold discipline on a fast, windy back half | Pure pace-holding and race-pace tempo work |
Brighton gets its climbing out of the way early. By halfway you're done with hills and into a long, flat, wind-exposed promenade where the temptation is to speed up too soon. Manchester barely has hills at all; the challenge there is holding even effort for 26 miles of flat, occasionally featureless road, which is exactly why it's a favourite for PBs and Boston Qualifying times.
A training plan built for one won't automatically serve the other.
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Why a Generic Training Plan Doesn't Work for Brighton or Manchester
A generic 16-week PDF doesn't know which race you're running. It can't tell you to front-load hill strength for Brighton, or to lean harder into race-pace tempo for Manchester's flat monotony. It just gives you the same long run, the same taper, regardless of what's waiting for you on the day.
And that's before you factor in the thing no printed plan can handle at all: setbacks. You will very likely hit one during a winter marathon block, whether that's a life event, an illness (office and school bugs peak exactly when marathon training does), or an injury. My physio tells me every year he sees the same pattern: runners hitting 17 miles in training and calling him in a panic.
A generic plan can't adapt to any of that. Working out how to rebuild after a missed week is on you, and it's harder than it sounds. I say that from experience. This is where Runna earns its keep. Tell it how you're feeling, and it recommends changes. Miss a week through illness or life getting in the way, and the next time you open the app there's a message with a sensible way back on track, not a guilt trip, not starting over, just a responsible adjustment. It watches your sessions too, particularly speed work, and nudges you if you're running faster or slower than the plan intended.
Responsible, sustainable training. It's what's got me to enough start lines, and through enough finish lines, to trust it with London.
My Own Marathon Training Plan for 2027
To answer the question I keep getting asked: I'll be using Runna for my own London 2027 block. It's prepped me for multiple events already, mostly ultras, and within those blocks have been dozens of marathon distance runs. I know it's the right tool for what's ahead.
I'm usually found at ultras and endurance events rather than road marathons, but London carries real weight for me as a cancer survivor. I've written separately about my road to London 2027 if you want the fuller story, including a couple of B race half marathons I'll be dropping into the build along the way.
Subscribe to the blog if you want to follow the whole thing.
Brighton and Manchester Marathon 2027 Training Plan FAQ
When should I start my Brighton Marathon training plan?
A 16-week plan starts the week of Monday 14 December 2026. A 20-week plan, the better choice for first-time marathon runners, starts the week of Monday 16 November 2026.
When should I start my Manchester Marathon training plan?
A 16-week plan starts the week of Monday 28 December 2026. A 20-week plan starts the week of Monday 30 November 2026.
Is Brighton Marathon 2027 sold out?
Not confirmed as fully sold out at the time of writing, but Brighton sold out for 2026 and demand is high. Check the official Brighton Marathon Weekend site for current general entry status, or go via a charity place if you need a guaranteed route in.
Is Manchester Marathon 2027 sold out?
Yes. General entry closed after selling out in April 2026, with over 48,000 entrants. Charity places are the only remaining route, and some of those have deadlines as late as 9 November 2026.
Which is flatter, Brighton or Manchester?
Manchester, by a wide margin. Manchester has around 54m of elevation gain and is regularly billed as the UK's flattest marathon. Brighton has around 145m, mostly front-loaded into the first half.
Should I train differently for Brighton than Manchester?
Yes. Brighton rewards hill strength early in a session and discipline on a long, windy flat finish. Manchester rewards race-pace tempo work and the ability to hold even effort over a largely featureless flat course. A plan built for one course won't automatically suit the other.
Can I use the same training plan for Brighton or Manchester as I would for London?
Not ideally. London is a net downhill course with a fast early section and a tough, rolling finish through Canary Wharf, a different physical problem to either Brighton or Manchester. A personalised, race-specific plan accounts for this; a generic one doesn't.
About the Author
Andy Hood is an ultra and endurance runner, testicular cancer survivor and proud Runna ambassador. After cancer knocked him off his feet in 2021, Andy laced his shoes back up and rebuilt his running with Runna's structured, personalised training plans, going on to complete multiple ultra marathons. He now designs bold running challenges to raise awareness of testicular cancer and has raised over £27,000 for cancer and mental health charities. He is the founder of Check Ya Balls gear, menswear that saves lives.
He will run the 2027 TCS London Marathon on Sunday 25 April for The Robin Cancer Trust.
As a Runna ambassador, Andy can offer new users an exclusive two-week free trial. Claim your free trial here or download the app and use promo code ANDY2.
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