Brighton half marathon diverted over landslide fears (From The Argus)
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Brighton half marathon diverted over landslide fears
4:50pm Tuesday 9th February 2010 in
A charity's half marathon route has been altered just weeks before the run after falling debris made part of the route unsafe.
A section of the footway of Undercliff Walk, from Asda at Brighton Marina to the boat yard, has been closed by Brighton and Hove City Council's coastal defence unit after large pieces of chalk and flint started to fall from the Black Rock cliffs having come loose during the severe winter weather.
Just as the Sussex Beacon fundraising team was celebrating reaching full capacity for entries, the news came that the existing route would need to be changed for safety reasons.
The council carried out an inspection on January 25 following concerns that further extreme weather could cause more rubble to fall.
It has now been decided that a one kilometre section of Undercliff Walk will have to remain closed while further monitoring takes place over the next few weeks.
The Black Rock cliffs were closed to the public in 2001 when storms caused parts of them to crumble and fall onto Undercliff Walk.
In 2005 professional abseilers from building firm CJ Thorne, based in Uckfield, sunk bolts into the rocks which was aimed at holding the rocks in place for the next 50 years.
Parts of the cliff left hanging after previous rock falls were also trimmed back and fences were placed at the bottom to collect any landslides. It was reopened later that year.
The Sussex Beacon Half Marathon, now in its 20th year, takes place on Sunday February 21, at 9.45am.
For more information go to www.beaconhalf.org.uk.
Comments(3)
TheInsider
says...
7:03pm Tue 9 Feb 10
DoWeHavTo
says...
11:33pm Tue 9 Feb 10
Don't like the town based route as much as the original one but you can't have everything!
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Rita Snatch says...
6:53pm Tue 9 Feb 10
I collected Evening Argus A Boards from their depot and instead of displaying the NEWS we used them as 'Mile-Markers'. I stored all 20 of those in my house, along with 2 large tents which I borrowed from the Army each year.
We worked so hard to get this to the success this is today and I certainly appreciated the sponsors who gradually supported us as It cut down on my physical work and the need to beg!
The first few years were actually TWO races at the same time! We had the Half Marathon with vest numbers in one colour and then another coloured vest colour was for those who did just part of the course as THE FUN RUN.
These races originally started and finished at THE MEETING PLACE CAFE at the Peace Statue and Rodney, the cafe owner, supplied all our volunteers with FREE drinks and food!
I even supplied FREE medical and ambulance cover for many years. It is a shame that this part has now become commercial and thus removing some of the funds that the Sussex Beacon Hospice, for those affected with HIV/AIDS, so urgently requires.
I wish them the very best again this year... I shall be working in another role this year at the event.