The Brighton Marathon will be featured on television for the first time next year.

Channel 4 has agreed to broadcast a highlights package of the 2013 race, as well as the Grand Hotel Mini-Mile.

Race organisers say they hope the national publicity will help them secure a lead sponsor for the race for the first time, which could be worth up to £1 million.

The event only launched in 2010 but has grown from 7,500 participants to more than 9,000 this year.

Race bosses hope that number will swell to 15,000 next year.

Tim Hutchings, race founder, said: “After just three years of the Brighton Marathon, this is a wonderful leap forward for the event.

“To have secured terrestrial TV coverage for our 2013 race raises the city’s marathon to another league of UK running events and for our staff, our sponsors, the thousands of volunteers who have helped us, and for the city of Brighton and Hove, of course, this is just reward for their hard work and diligence.

“Working in the TV business a great deal myself, I know how much this raises the profile of the event.

“Coverage will not just be accessible in every household in the UK but syndicated internationally as well, meaning the beauty of Brighton and Hove and the buzz of the marathon weekend will be viewed by a totally new audience around the globe.

“We couldn’t be more delighted and will be working even harder to make sure that the race delivers what people have come to expect - and more - from the Brighton Marathon.”

An event spokesman said they hope, as well as attracting a lucrative sponsor, the boosted profile will also secure even stronger professional athletes for future races.

Seven thousand charity places will be available next year – 1,000 more than the 2012 event.

The 2013 Brighton Marathon takes place on Sunday, April 14.