The Brighton Marathon has partnered with CGI, one of the largest independent IT and business consulting services companies in the world, to work on creating a virtual reality walk through to help people feel more confident and prepared before taking part.
Mass participation events such as marathons can feel daunting or overwhelming for many people due to large crowds, noise and the busy atmosphere created by a large event. These elements can feel exclusionary for people who are neurodivergent, including the autistic community, or anyone feeling nervous or anxious ahead of taking part in a large event.
Working with the National Autistic Society, CGI is creating a video experience showcasing the event and capturing what it feels like to run the marathon from the start through to the finish.
While the app is still in development and will be launched before the 2026 event, 2025 participants will be given early access to try out the app on Saturday 5 April, the day before this year’s Brighton Marathon. CGI will be attending the Brighton Miles in Preston Park with virtual reality (VR) headsets, inviting anyone feeling nervous about Sunday morning’s marathon to try out the pilot app experience.
To create the virtual experience, CGI filmed key areas of the 2024 Brighton Marathon and is using the footage to create a 360-degree video. Footage was captured at busy locations on the route including the Start, Finish, and a Drinks Station where participants were also travelling in opposite directions on either side of the road.
Users will be able to view it as a 360-degree video on their mobile device or using VR headsets for a more immersive experience. The film will also be easy to pause, and will be broken into chapters to allow users to replay sections and navigate to the parts they are most interested in.
The hope is this film will support neurodivergent people, including people in the autistic community, and anyone experiencing nervousness in the lead-up to their event to feel more prepared and ready to enjoy their Marathon Day, and forms part of Brighton Marathon’s ongoing initiatives to make the event more inclusive.
Michelle Weltman MBE, Head of Disability at London Marathon Events, said: “We want Brighton Marathon to be the most welcoming marathon and truly for everyone. We are working to increase the diversity, including the disabled representation and accessibility, at all of our events. By partnering with CGI to create this virtual walkthrough, we’re taking a really innovative approach to our inclusion initiatives and looking beyond just Event Day accessibility. We hope this video will support anyone feeling nervous or worried about becoming overwhelmed at the event and offer that little bit of extra support to help them reach the Start Line.”
Tara McGeehan, President, CGI in the UK and Australia, said “Technology and innovation are increasingly being applied to help facilitate equity, diversity and inclusion. CGI is at the forefront of developing methods to help to prepare individuals for sensory experiences which may provoke anxiety and prove challenging. We are very pleased to be able to apply this in the Brighton Marathon.”
Peter Watt, Managing Director of National Programmes at the National Autistic Society, said: “We are delighted to be working with CGI and the Brighton Marathon on the new virtual walk-through. Some autistic people love running as a way to keep fit and to benefit mental wellbeing, but some have told us they find the crowds, noise and other sensory experiences of mass participation events overwhelming. Some people will avoid taking part in these events altogether, or will have negative experiences before they even reach the start line.
“We hope that the new video experience will enable autistic people who want to take part in marathons and other mass participation events to reach their potential and enjoy the experience.”