A hen weekend to remember!

Bride-to-be Emily Marchant, 34, dashed to an incredible third place at the Brighton Marathon after partying until the early hours on her hen night. Despite only catching six hours of sleep, Emily crossed the finish line in a blistering two hours 58 minutes and 17 seconds, donning a chicken headband and yellow tutu skirt.

Just yesterday (6), she took to the start line fresh from a 3am ending to the previous evening's festivities. The seasoned marathoner, who has run 17 marathons prior, strategically scheduled her hen do around the race.

Her supportive friends added a quirky twist by giving her various 'props' to carry, including an inflatable doll resembling her fiancée Charlotte, 32, which she bore across the final 100m. Post-race, Emily, a lecturer hailing from Swansea, Wales, recalled: "I got a text at halfway from my supporters saying I was making my way up the field so I just thought, 'Go for it'." She pressed on, admitting: "I chased a few girls down and I'm just so happy to be on the podium."

Detailing the hen antics, she shared: "We got here yesterday, had a sports day and we've got a lovely balcony so had a few drinks there and then went out last night, so I was feeling questionable this morning! I was going to be sensible but I got excited and had fun, got in late and here we are."

The celebration continued post-marathon with the hen party enjoying a sauna session and cold plunge on the beach, topped off with celebratory drinks. Emily, set to tie the knot in just four weeks, shared her excitement: "I wanted to do something iconic and memorable. I wasn't expecting a podium finish so it has just made the weekend even more special."