Since being inaugurated in 2010 the Brighton Marathon, featuring a largely coastal route, has grown significantly from around 7,500 runners to over 12,000 in 2017

The largest sporting event in the World visited London in 2012; 10,768 athletes from 204 nations competed in 302 events across 26 sports. Home advantage showed as Team GB finished an impressive third in the final medal table, behind USA and China, with a tally of 65 medals - 29 Gold, 17 Silver and 19 Bronze.

RideLondon’s closed roads in central London allow cyclists of all abilities to enjoy the landmarks at a more leisurely pace

Brighton & Hove Albion FC, nicknamed the Seagulls, achieved promotion to the Premier League in 2017 after finishing runner's-up to Newcastle United in the Championship. The team have been absent from the top division since 1983.

In their final group game, played in front of a capacity crowd at Twickenham, Wales bid to beat Australia to top their group; after a tight game and a nail-biting final 15 minutes Australia came away 15-6 victors. Both progressed to the Quarter Finals but Wales lost to South Africa at that stage; Australia lost in the final to a superior New Zealand.

An event that frequently brings a bit of colour to drab winter days is the annual Santa Dash - a charity 5km seafront run where over 600 participants dress in Santa costumes.