Welcome and Hello
The Lighthouse Marathon
Just when you thought a marathon wasn't hard enough!
Let me explain
The lighthouse marathon runs from the homeground of Pendeen Rovers, Borlaise Park, along the Cornish
coast path to Godrevy.
This marathon has everything. Climbs, mud, bogs, rocks, boulders, tarmac, sand, water and more hills.
And last of all, the light.
The race starts at 10 am
With a generous 8 1/2 hour cut off, you have to beat the dark before you finish
The race start takes you down the road from Borlaise Park, past Pendeen lighthouse and onto the South West coast path, all the way to St Ives. The path then takes you through St. Ives, Carbis Bay, Lelant and Hayle before you join the Dunes of Doom. Find your way through the dunes, up around Godrevy and back to the Sunset Surf Cafe
This is a self navigation race but there will be marshals at key points to help guide you. Keep the sea to your left until Godrevy then its a little bit of the sea on your right.
There will be 4 aid stations, due to the remoteness of the route
Gurnards Head 6 miles
Porthmeor Beach 13 miles (5 hour cut off) strict!
Lelant Church 18 miles
Hayle (Black Rock) 22 miles ( 7 1/2 hour cut off) strict!
The lighthouse marathon takes challenging to another level but the rewards of a finish are priceless
I have ran it and I can tell you, I was happy to finish!
Thank you to all the businesses that support us and all the volunteers. These events would never
happen without you
Event Schedule
Event HQ is at the Sunset Surf Cafe, Gwithian, TR27 5BT. There is free parking in the main car park. You are responsible for your own parking and the fees incurred.
Registration and ID check is 6.00 to 8.15 am
We are situated in the Cafe for registration.
Teas and Coffees will be available at Borlaise Football ground
Coaches will depart from the main road, the B3301 at 8.30 sharp.
It is a short walk up from the car park and these will take you to Borlaise Park
The clubhouse at Borlaise Park will be open for tea and coffee, plus access to the toilets and Portaloos.
Event briefing is at 9.45 am, in front of the clubhouse
The start line is in the corner of the grounds, be ready at 9.55 am for the 10 am start
We look forward to seeing you all back at the finish line and presenting you with your medal.
Trophy presentation is at 4 pm
Trophies for 1st to 3rd Female and Male
Trophies for team and 'True Grit' are presented after the last runner has finished
There is a bag drop in the venue. The venue and Bys Vyken Events hold no responsibility
for your belongings or for your car
Health and Safety
We do our absolute best to make sure your day goes swimmingly but sometimes things go wrong.
If you are unwell, please do not turn up and try to run. The whole thing could unravel very quickly.
Look after yourself and your well being first
In light of new government safety guidelines, please pay extra care attention when on the coast path or near large bodies of water. If you are unsure or feel unsafe, please make a marshal aware and we will get you to safety.
Please dress appropriately for the weather, this is an autumn race and Cornish weather can change instantly.
Some parts of this course are very remote and therefore the kit list is mandatory
The kit list for this event is built on years of knowledge. We would not run without it
There will be no entries on the day and you will be asked for ID.
For safety and medical reasons, we must make sure nobody is running under someone else's name. It is foolhardy and dangerous
Please fill out all the details on the back of your bib number. This is in case you get into difficulties.
It also has our emergency contact numbers on it
We have Omega Medical attending the event and looking after all the runners. They have been at every Bys Vyken event since 2016 and are thoroughly experienced. We would not trust anyone else
If at any point, you feel the need to retire from the event. Please get word to a marshal or contact us directly. We need to know that you are safe. You must return to HQ as we need the timer chip back please
Please respect the environment and do not litter, deliberate acts of littering will be a disqualification
Please overtake runners responsibly and also give way to other runners safely. Respect everyone
The event is timed with ankle tags, so please think where you would like to be at the start line. May not be worth getting trampled on by the stampede.
For your safety, we have a 8 1/2 hour cut off for this event with a 5 hour cut off at Porthmeor Beach.
Cut offs are there to make sure everyone can complete these events safely. We will have marshals out there all that time and sometimes the weather can be extremely demanding
Other things to remember
This is a point to point event. You will be passing each other on narrow paths. You are asked to respect each others distance and space when passing where you can. This includes the tourists and walkers you will encounter on the coast path.
Sorry, no dogs are allowed to run in this event
All ID shown must be a physical item, ie; drivers licence, passport
All aid stations provide your standard fare for a race day, crisps, nuts, sweets and fruit. There are large water containers at each station as well as cola. Bys Vyken are a cup less events company so please bring your own.
Please also be respectful at Borlaise Park and at Sunset Surf Cafe. They have allowed us to host our event here and we would like to come back again next year
This next bit is very important.
We don't make these kit lists up for a jolly. If you get into difficulty on the course. This could very well save your life.
We very highly recommend that you put What3words app on your phone as well
Kit List (Mandatory)
Quality waterproof jacket with taped seams (10000 min)
Cap, buff or similar
Gloves
Base layer
Hydration system (vest/pack) 2 x 500 ml min
Headtorch (150 lumens min)
Spare batteries (must be a battery or battery pack)
Reuseable cup
Nutrition
First aid kit with blister plaster
orange bivvy bag
Whistle
Fully charged mobile phone
£20 emergency money & photo ID
NO KIT = NO RACE
Thank you for reading all of the above and we look forward to welcoming you all on the day
ARC Permit Number ARC/24/0291