Staff at Brighton’s Hotel du Vin will be running the Brighton Marathon for causes close to their heart and Daniel White caught up with them to understand the importance of what they’re doing
Brighton’s Hotel du Vin is used to winning.
Since opening its doors in 2003, the city’s first boutique hotel has won numerous awards for its food, wine, décor and hospitality, including scooping Hotel du Vin’s Hotel of the Year award at last month’s company awards.
However, the challenge facing Deputy GM Adam Rice and Maintenance Manager Sam Patterson is looking a tough one to win.
The pair, based at Brighton’s Hotel du Vin, will be running in the Brighton Marathon this month for their choice of charities and, other than some nerves, cannot wait to get going.
“It’s quite nerve racking at the start when you’re waiting, all the nerves are there and then all the training kicks in once you’ve been waived off and it’s a great feeling,” explains Patterson. “I’ve been to a few marathons in other places but the support you get in the Brighton one is absolutely phenomenal. The last few miles when your legs are giving up the crowd just lift you.”
The duo, who have both previously run the Brighton Marathon, are not taking anything for granted, though, this year as they get ready for the gruelling 26-mile run.
“There are some days where it all depends on how it’s been at work,” Rice says. “Yesterday I worked 11 hours and then went for a four-mile run at 11.30 last night, which in reality is the last thing I wanted to do but it’s days away so it’s got to be done but I’m comfortable with it.”
Despite training throughout winter and spring, the timing of the seafront marathon is cause for concern for the experienced runners.
“I’m wondering how the weather’s going to be because the last time I did it was three years ago and it was scorching,” Rice recalls. “I’d done one run in the sun, the rest of it was all cold, rain, wind, nights, whatever. So that makes it quite difficult when it comes to race day; it’s nine o’clock in the morning and the sun’s already beating down.”
However, for both Patterson and Rice, the charities they are running for have touched them and continue to provide that extra drive when training seems unappealing.
“I’m doing it for the Whitehawk Inn, which is a local charity I think is great,” Rice states. “It gives people the opportunity of learning from all aspects and all ages and it’s just a nice foot back in the door for people that have fallen upon hard times.”
Patterson, who will be running in his third Brighton Marathon, says: “The charity I chose was Cystic Fibrosis Trust. My sister’s little boy has it so it’s close to my heart so it’s nice to make the effort and get out there and raise some money for it.
“It effects the lungs in children, the life span is shorter, some of them get up to 45 if they’re lucky but I know things have improved vastly in terms of medicine and gene therapy so it’s just about getting money. There’s research going on all over the world so it’s just getting that break through but it’s all down to money as well.”
While the couple are pleased to have so far raised nearly £900, they were also quick to praise Hotel du Vin for their focus on charity-based causes.
“One of our main charities is Rockinghorse, which since the hotel started has been one of its designated charities,” Rice explains. “Everything that they do and what they stand for is fantastic but the hotel within the community, within Brighton, is very much based towards the local charities, we also do a lot of national things but particularly Brighton, within the city itself, they are very supportive.”