Brighton & Hove Triathlon (Brighton Triathlon)
Hove (Brighton), United Kingdom · August · Independent (TriBourne; Supertri from 2027)
Why people love it
- Flat closed-road seafront bike, with transition, run and finish all around Hove Lawns
- Super sprint with a 300 m (0.19 mi) swim is a gentle first race
- Over 25 lifeguards covered the 2019 swim; the super sprint stays within 100 m (330 ft) of shore
- Gatwick is 40 km (25 mi) away, with direct trains from London
Watch out for
- Sea swim can have a lateral current and chop; the 2019 mass start caused bunching
- Olympic bike is about eight loops with turnarounds on an exposed seafront
- No finish-line nutrition was reported in 2019
- Bank holiday weekend: expect high hotel prices and book early
- The event moves to Supertri from 2027, so format and details may change
Race
How racers feel about it, how well it is run, and how it treats a first timer. Counts for 30% of the overall score.
Toughness: Moderate
- Racer satisfactionLoved3.7
Positive 2016 and 2019 reports and returning first-timers, but mostly event-sourced and nothing recent from racers. · Low confidence
- OrganizationWell run3.6
A club racer in 2019 judged it better run than before, but noted no finish nutrition and a bunched mass start. · Low confidence
- First timer friendlyDoable3.2
1.5 km (0.93 mi) sea swim with a current, a mass start and eight bike loops. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- PR potentialFast3.7
Flat. One racer reported a 14 minute personal best in 2019. · Low confidence
Swim
Wetsuit odds, water temperature, calm, and the experience of the start. Counts for 16% of the overall score.
- Wetsuit legalAlmost always4.7
Sea about 17 to 19 °C (63 to 66 °F) in late summer, far under the 24.6 °C (76.3 °F) limit. · Medium confidence
- Water temperatureComfortable3.5
Estimated 17 to 19 °C (63 to 66 °F), cool but fine in a wetsuit. No published readings. · Low confidence
- Calm waterSome chop3.3
Glassy in 2016 and calm in 2019 reports, though one racer found it slightly choppy with a lateral current. · Medium confidence
- Swim easeModerate2.8
Current over 1.5 km (0.93 mi) reported in 2019. · Medium confidence
- Swim experienceFine3.2
Sea swim off a city beach. The 2019 mass start hurt the experience for one racer. · Low confidence
- Swim supportGood3.9
Over 25 lifeguards in 2019 and the super sprint stays within 100 m (330 ft) of shore. Olympic starts en masse. · Medium confidence
Bike
Road surface, closures, scenery and wind. Counts for 18% of the overall score.
- Road surfaceGood3.5
Urban seafront road. No surface reports found. · Low confidence
- Road closuresMostly closed4.3
A259 seafront closed per the organiser and a magazine preview. No racer complaints on record. · Medium confidence
- Bike sceneryBeautiful3.6
Sea views and promenade, repeated every loop. · Low confidence
- WindSome wind3.0
Exposed seafront. Only a light breeze in 2019 is on record. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Bike speedFast3.7
Many loops and turns. · Low confidence
- Bike flatnessPancake flat4.6
Likely under 150 m (490 ft) over 40 km (25 mi). · Low confidence
- Bike simplicitySome technical parts3.4
Straight road but about eight loops with turnarounds for the Olympic. · Low confidence
Run
Crowds, aid stations, conditions underfoot and scenery. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Crowd supportStrong3.8
A racer called the finish crowd vocal in 2019. The organiser's spectator numbers are unverified. · Low confidence
- Aid stationsStandard3.2
A racer noted no nutrition at the finish in 2019. No other aid detail. · Low confidence
- Run sceneryBeautiful3.8
Hove Promenade with the i360 tower in view. · Low confidence
- Run conditionsEasy3.5
Exposed, and hard after the bike per one racer. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Run flatnessFlat4.7
Flat 10 km (6.2 mi) promenade. · Low confidence
Conditions
Air temperature, how predictable the weather is, setting, and spectating. Counts for 13% of the overall score.
- Air temperaturePleasant4.3
Late August air is typically 16 to 23 °C (61 to 73 °F). It was 22 °C (72 °F) in 2019. · Low confidence
- Weather reliabilityVariable3.2
Sunny in 2016 and 2019, but British weather and sea state vary. · Low confidence
- Venue beautyLovely4.0
Seafront with the pier and i360 in view. · Low confidence
- Spectator friendlyEasy4.2
Short repeated loops on the seafront make the race easy to watch. · Low confidence
Course traits, not part of the score
- Low altitudeSea level5.0
About 5 m (16 ft) above sea level. · High confidence
Stay and travel
Hotels, walkability, getting there, and the town around the race. Counts for 10% of the overall score.
- Hotel availabilityBook early3.0
Bank holiday weekend in a popular seaside city. Book early. · Low confidence
- Hotel valueNormal2.6
Peak seaside weekend. No price data, but expect high rates. · Low confidence
- WalkabilityWalkable4.0
Transition, start and finish are all on Hove Lawns. Parking details not found. · Low confidence
- Travel easeVery easy4.5
Gatwick is about 40 km (25 mi) away, with direct trains from London. · Medium confidence
- LogisticsSimple4.0
Single venue on Hove Lawns, with Saturday registration and bike racking in 2019. · Low confidence
- Town and foodGreat4.6
Brighton has a large restaurant and nightlife scene. · Medium confidence
Key facts
- Location
- Hove (Brighton), East Sussex, United Kingdom
- Typical month
- August
- Latest or next date
- 29 August 2027
- Organiser
- Independent (TriBourne; Supertri from 2027)
- Field size
- About 1,000 athletes
- First held
- 2016
- Distances
- 1.5 km (0.9 mi) swim, 40 km (24.9 mi) bike, 10 km (6.2 mi) run
- Swim venue
- English Channel off Hove Lawns and Brighton seafront (sea)
- Water temperature
- 17–19 °C (63–66 °F)
- Wetsuit
- Legal
- Swim start
- mass
- Bike laps
- 8
- Run shade
- None; open promenade and lawns
- Air temperature
- 16–23 °C (61–73 °F)
- Humidity
- Moderate, sea breeze
- Altitude
- 5 m (16 ft)
- Nearest airport
- London Gatwick (LGW), 40 km (25 mi) away
- Where to stay
- Hove, Brighton seafront
- Booking
- Brighton hotels are pricey on summer and bank holiday weekends; 2027 date is Bank Holiday weekend. Parking details not found.
What racers and reviewers say
- Sussex LocalRaced 2019 · article · Positive
Fourth edition drew over 1,600 across the weekend with a calm, warm sea and about 22 °C (72 °F) sun. Over 25 lifeguards covered the swim. The organiser reported no problems and said many first-timers planned to return. Event-sourced story, so positive tone.
- Brighton Phoenix Tri Club roundupRaced 2019 · blog · Mixed
Club racer's Olympic report: slightly choppy swim with a strong lateral current, and a mass start that caused bunching he thought sequential starts would fix. The bike was eight seafront loops, the run hard after it, and the finish crowd was vocal. He finished 14 minutes faster than his previous Olympic.
- Brighton Phoenix Tri Club roundupRaced 2019 · blog · Positive
Overview of club results: sunny, light breeze, swim conditions good if not perfect, and an event he felt was better organised than before. He asked organisers to fix the lack of nutrition at the finish.
- 220 TriathlonRaced 2016 · article · Positive
Launch preview: sea swim from Brighton beach, looped closed-road bike on the A259 coast road, and a run along Hove Promenade past the i360, with transition on Hove Lawns. Describes the bike as flat and wide. Preview, not an athlete account.
- Endurance Business / Sussex pressRaced 2016 · article · Positive
Inaugural edition reported as a success with a flat sea giving calm swim conditions. Page could not be opened; summary taken from a search snippet only, so low weight.
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- RacepassRaced 2026 · aggregator · Positive
Listing for the next edition: about 1,000 participants and fast, flat closed-road courses with sea swims from Hove Lawns; no reviews posted and many details blank. Organiser-sourced.
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Sources
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