Brighton & Hove Rainbow Run 2026 Road

Race Description

Timed to coincide with Brighton Pride weekend, the Rainbow Run has grown quickly since its first edition into one of the most joyfully distinctive 5Ks in the South East. Organised by Brighton & Hove FrontRunners, the city's LGBTQ+ running club, it takes place on a flat, chip-timed loop around Hove Park on a Friday evening in late July, drawing several hundred runners in a mix of serious club vests and elaborate fancy dress. The course itself is straightforward, flat park pathways, easy underfoot, genuinely fast if you want it to be, but the occasion is the real draw: trophies are awarded across male, female and non-binary categories, there's a costume prize alongside the podium places, and the whole evening runs with the atmosphere of a Pride event rather than a conventional road race.

Proceeds go to MindOut, a Brighton-based mental health charity run by and for LGBTQ+ people, giving the run a clear and locally rooted purpose beyond the celebration. It suits runners who want a genuinely fast, flat 5K without giving up any of the fun, this is not a race that takes itself too seriously, as well as anyone looking for an inclusive, welcoming event to bring friends or family along to. Free entertainment and photography add to the evening, and with the event growing year on year, it's fast becoming a fixture of the Brighton Pride calendar as much as the local racing scene.