Runners who took on the Brighton Marathon nearly went the extra mile - after organisers said the course was too long.

Sunday’s 26.2 mile event started at Preston Park in the city and finished near the Brighton Pier with Neil McClements crossing the line first in two hours and 33 minutes.

But organisers later said there had been a mistake with the course measurement.

In a statement on Facebook, they said: “We would like to apologise to our marathon participants that the course today has measured 568m too long.

“We are wholly disappointed that this has affected our runners & hope that it hasn’t marred the experience, at what has been a fantastic comeback event after 18 months.”

Many of the replies to the post made light of the situation, with some suggesting they had just finished their first ultramarathon - a catch-all term for races longer than marathon distance.

PA