Brighton and Hove City Council have said that they are preparing “a range of outcomes” for running the Brighton Marathon.
The council have committed to running the marathon in 2023, but the future of the event is in doubt after organisers Grounded Events announced plans to sell the company.
The business, who have organised the marathon for 12 years but are now £1.2 million in debt, recently announced that they had identified a preferred bidder for the sale.
A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council said: “We are aware of the recent announcements by Grounded Events around both appointing administrators and a potential sale of the company.
“We are meeting them tomorrow to discuss the implications of these announcements in terms of their request to run the Brighton Marathon next year.
"We are continuing to prepare for a range of outcomes, and are currently focused on ensuring outstanding debts to the running community and local businesses can be resolved."
The council previously said they would not allow Grounded to run the marathon without paying outstanding debts.
Grounded Events still owes large sums to multiple creditors for the 2022 event, including £2,000 in prize money to last year’s winner.
After filing a Notion of Intention to Appoint Administrators on November 1, the company announced that they had found a preferred bidder in an attempt to boost investment.
However, applications for the 2023 event were still being taken until Monday, November 7. Entry for the event cost £80.
Grounded Events directors Tom Naylor and Tim Hutchings said: “Throughout this exceptionally challenging time for the industry and our event in particular, we have focused on finding a way to protect the future of Brighton Marathon Weekend.
“We believe that the process currently under way is the best approach to maintain the event’s positive legacy and to continue inspiring thousands of new runners, while contributing to our city’s economy and raising millions of pounds for charity. We would like to reiterate our thanks to our stakeholders, partners and the running community for their continued support and understanding.”
Business advisory firm FRP would not name the preferred bidder for Grounded Events.
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