I totally agree with Phil Biffen (Letters, April 9) when he writes complaining about last weekend’s Brighton Marathon.

Who in their right mind would close off the main coast road? It’s a main artery from east to west.

Businesses lost money, people were inconvenienced and God knows what would have happened if there was an incident which required ambulances or fire engines on this route.

Why on earth can’t the organisers route it through a place which would not affect traffic at all?

What’s the matter with our greenbelt? Surely they could run all over the Downs, or even along the seafront itself, off the road.

Living in Peacehaven, I had problems getting to Brighton Marina last Sunday. I left early hoping to miss the traffic closure but unfortunately the road was closed earlier than I expected.

I had to go to Rottingdean, all the way up to Woodingdean, along to Wilson Avenue in Whitehawk and down to the marina – a 25-minute journey that should only have taken ten minutes.

I know all the runners will say I’m being petty but I was only one of thousands; other people would have been affected in a similar way. Some of these poor people had to go all the way to Lewes to get where they wanted to go.

Plenty of workers use this route as well – or do the organisers think everything shuts on a Sunday?

It’s time to sort this out.

Roger Lee, Firle Road, Peacehaven