10 Reasons to Sign Up to the Beachy Head Marathon!

The Beachy Head Marathon is less than six weeks away now and whilst it's important to have undergone some marathon training before signing up, there is still time and a small remainder of places to enter the race! Here are 10 reasons why you should enter the Beachy Head Marathon today and and take part in a fantastic sporting event on the stunning South Coast!

1. Where else can you run a marathon whilst being surrounded by the UK's highest chalk sea cliffs?

2. The Beachy Head Marathon has previously been featured in Runner's World Top 10 UK races, therefore it's one for the marathon runner's bucket list!

3. It may be one of the toughest marathon's in the UK to run, however past runners have described the marathon course as exhilarating and it makes the achievement of running it all the more incredible!

4. There aren't many sporting challenges in the UK (or the world) where you are able to see such incredibly beautiful sights whilst running 26 miles! The marathon route takes in the breathtaking beauty of the Seven Sisters, Friston Forest, some quaint Sussex villages, the Cuckmere Valley and lots more gorgeous coastal scenery!

5. Not only is it one of the most notable marathon's in the UK, it's also a world famous marathon which attracts runners from over 14 different countries, including America, Austrailia, Germany and New Zealand.

6. The event is renowned for it's great atmosphere and support from the crowds which really makes a difference when you're struggling with those hills! There's also incredible support from the marathon marshals who volunteer their time to help keep the runners motivated.

7. Live music along the route also adds extra encouragement when the going gets tough!

8. Cooler October temperatures, together with the coastal breeze means that you won't be beaten or worn out by hot temperatures whilst running!

9. There are multiple checkpoints along the 26 mile course where you can refuel on some delicious and nutritious snacks and drinks, from hot cross buns, sausage rolls, cakes, biscuits, soup, jelly babies, tea, fruit squash and of course water, you won't know what to eat and drink!

10. Lastly, why not make a trip of it this half term and stay in Eastbourne for a family break to relax and recuperate after the marathon? There's plenty of family fun to be had for both adults and children in Eastbourne this half term!

So, if you already have some training under your belt then sign up to the Beachy Head Marathon today, get your running gear on and head to the beautiful South Downs to continue your training ahead of 24 October!

Eastbourne Extreme Speeds Into Town!

This weekend (18-19 July) Eastbourne Extreme, which is one of the biggest free extreme sporting events on the South Coast will return to Eastbourne's Eastern seafront. The two day event features many dazzling displays and demonstrations from some top land, sea and air extreme sports display teams!

The variety of extreme sports on offer at the event is incredibly diverse this year, with awsome displays from the World Slalom Series inline skating team, Zero Gravity freestyle mountain bike team and the MBE BMX team, along with a brand new bike tour of over 100 riders on retro 1980's BMX bikes!

The bike tour, which is run by Brighton Riders BMX, starts on Sunday morning (18 July) and ends at Eastbourne's Eastern seafront where the rest of the days action will begin. The festival is not only a site of amazing displays, but also a chance for visitors to safely try out some new sporting activities in safe hands and with tutored guidance!

A brand new feature of Eastbourne Extreme this year, sees amazing and inspiring athletes demonstrating human strength as part of the Calisthenics Federation World Cup. The incredible body-building athletes stop off in Eastbourne ahead of the World Cup final in Moscow at the end of the year!

There will be windsurfing and paddleboard action with tutored sessions and competitions run by Buzz Active RYA Centre (formerly Spray Watersports), taking place on Eastbourne beach.

Eastbourne's Bourne Bombshells will be challenging teams from all over the country in the only outdoor roller derby tournament in Europe, and the World Slalom Series will see freestyle skaters battle for the top spot in the hope of representing Great Britain in future championships.

Get your skates on and head to the extreme sport festival where they'll be a freestyle skate park takeover for practicing stunts and a packed-out programme of freestyle demos, roller hockey, street skating, roller disco and tuition for new skaters!

Visitors can expect all of this and more, plus live entertainment all weekend on the music stage at the beach! Find out the full details of Eastbourne Extreme, here! 

We’ll Leave Slalom To The Experts - Eastbourne Extreme 2014

Yesterday, 8 July 2014, a few of us at Visit Eastbourne had the pleasure of attending My Skate World for a lesson and practice in Slalom skating in preparation for Eastbourne Extreme this weekend.

To say there is some talent there is an understatement! We were so impressed with the children and marshals there, with some children just 3 years old and skating far better than us!

We were taught the basics before trying to glide in and out of cones, going backwards, limbo-ing and racing and had an absolutely great time!

We had the pleasure of meeting one of Eastbourne’s young skaters who will be competing this weekend at the Extreme World Slalom Series, with hopes of representing GB in Paris later in the year! We stood in awe of how talented she was as she sped in and out of cones on one foot kneeling down and practically dancing around the arena, performing fantastic tricks.

Others that attended the session were also skating sideways, backwards and anyway their feet would go at great speed, performing freestyle Slalom and all with great ease. As we spoke to the marshals after our session, it was clear that many of the skaters go on a weekly basis and improve their skills with others. The marshals are there to help and were great teachers to us! We hope to see many of them on Fisherman's Green this weekend for the World Series Slalom competition!

My Skate World is located at 16A unit 5 Maple Road, Eastbourne, and runs after school sessions and roller discos! We would like to thank the team for having us and hope the weekend goes well! Maybe with a bit more practice we might be able to come again and show off some tricks!

Check out the film we took while we were there, using our Go Pro’s! 

Watch Film!

Eastbourne Extreme takes place this weekend 12-13 July on the Eastern end of the seafront with the World Series Slalom competition, Roller Derby, BMX skates and scooter competitions, demo’s, windsurfing, paddle boarding, VW display, taster sessions at Spray Water Sports, Zorb arena, funfair and so much more!

Music fans will enjoy a whole weekend of entertainment near Princes Park entrance with music starting at 11.15 both days. Saturday kicks off with Grasshopper, Emperor The Stag, DUB N TUFF, Saint Apache and Master Kush’s circus. Then Sunday will see Fallow Deer, Strange Cages, The Piercings and Knocksville.

The Beatroots, formerly known as Beve & The Beatroots, will play on the music stage from 5.30pm to 7pm on Sunday, taking fans straight into the World Cup final which will be shown live on the Big Screen in Princes Park with the match starting at 8pm. Screen on the Green will also show the third place playoff match from 9pm on Saturday evening.


We can’t wait and we’ll see you all there from 11am both days! For more information go to www.eastbourneextreme.co.uk 

Events to get fit for in Eastbourne!

So January came and after being on the healthy side of Christmas, it was easy to go to the gym and ditch takeaways for salads. Then came February and the chance of falling off the wagon just got higher. We’ve put a few ideas together to work towards your fitness goal whilst enjoying Eastbourne. There are so many sporting events to get involved with and what great motivation to keep training!

• Eastbourne has another great year ahead planned for sports starting with the Eastbourne Half Marathon 2014, taking place on Sunday 2 March. The half marathon starts at Princes Park, taking runners down the length of the seafront, through Meads and the Sovereign Harbour. The aim is to raise as much money as possible for local charities. Over the last 9 years, the half marathon has raised over £110,000 for charities. What great motivation to take part! Time is of the essence though as it is just weeks away!

• Join in with the Eastbourne sports festival 17-18 May. The event allows a variety of sports taster sessions delivered across two days by local sports clubs and organisations using the four council’s sports centres; Sports Park, Hampden Park SC, Cavendish SC and Shinewater SC. The festival is for the whole family to enjoy, each participant pays just £1 per activity and it all goes to NSPCC. You can expect anything from scuba diving to golf and from kickboxing to football.

• If Cycling is your thing then there is plenty of time to train for the Eastbourne Cycling Festival on 1 June. Last year, there were 7 main events throughout the day, including the Eastbourne 5K, Eastbourne Dualthlon, Eastbourne Sportive and Eastbourne Road Racing along with Kid’s events and retail exhibitions. This year is set to be even better. So it’s time to get back on those wheels, raise some money for charity and enjoy a day surrounded by Eastbourne fantastic scenery.

• The Tour Of Sussex Cycle race is back after a successful year in 2013. The race on 4 – 6 July starts is set in three stages incorporating various climbs and sprints form Lewes to Eastbourne. This is a great event and worth training for!

• Having over 3 miles of un-spoilt beaches means that when it comes to swimming events in Eastbourne, the sea is the destination! Try the Eastbourne sprint triathlon and aquathlon on 12 July.

• If it urban sports you are in to then Eastbourne Extreme is for you. The weekend event takes place on 12 and 13 July at the Eastern end of the seafront. Visitors can expect to see and take part in water sports, skating, bmxing, roller derby and so much more!

• If you’re thinking long term and want a real challenge, then the Beachy Head Marathon or 10k is for you. Taking place on 25 October, the Beachy Head Marathon is a scenic gem and has been described by subscribers to Runners World as one of the most iconic events in the country. It covers 300 steps and 14 gates, passing through Jevington, Alfriston, Litlington, Friston Forest, The Cuckmere Valley and Seven Sisters, including Birling Gap and Beachy Head. 

Other events to work towards include Race for Life in the summer and The Santa Fun Run at Christmas.

Eastbourne is also the perfect place to get fit outdoors with over 3 miles of un spoilt seafront, and the South Downs National Park on the doorstep.

For more information on any of these events, go to www.visiteastbourne.com