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Brighton Marathon Introduces Ploggers to Tackle Litter Along 26.2-Mile Route

February 18, 2026
By
Anna F.

Brighton Marathon runners will plog the 42km route on 12 April, rotating in 10km shifts to collect gel packets and cups, as organisers add refill stations and other sustainability measures.

​This year’s Brighton Marathon in England, the UK will see runners doing more than chasing personal bests. A team of 20 participants will take part in “plogging,” combining running with litter picking, to help clear waste along the 42km course on 12 April.

​Plogging, a movement that began in Sweden in 2016, blends the Swedish phrase plocka upp, meaning “pick up,” with jogging. The concept has gained traction globally and already has a foothold in Brighton through community groups organising regular clean-up runs.

Runners will be plogging to clean up garbage during Brighton Marathon this year [George Carden/BBC]

​During the marathon, ploggers will rotate in 10km shifts, collecting discarded gel packets, cups, and other waste left along the seafront route. Darren Evans, co-founder of The Green Runners, said the goal is simple: leave the environment better than they found it.

​Organisers are also introducing broader sustainability measures. Water refill stations will allow runners to top up reusable bottles and hydration vests. Around 1,500 “Team Green” participants will skip kit bags to reduce transport emissions and will receive collapsible reusable cups.

​Spectators are encouraged to use public transport or car share, while green villages will highlight local environmental initiatives.

​In Brighton this spring, some runners will measure success not in minutes, but in kilograms of rubbish removed from the shoreline.

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