Running review: Brighton Beach

Length: 8 km (Parking lot to west end, back to estuary, back to parking lot).

Pros:

• Beautiful flat sandy beach (little camber)
• Generally unoccupied
• Wildlife: at the estuary end, plenty of bird life; occasional seals on the beach proper
• Other life: local harness racing trainers frequently exercise their horses on the beach
  
• The "out and back and out and back" pattern means that you can sensibly quit half way through if the conditions are poor, or you're not feeling well

Cons:

• Twenty minute drive out of town
• Fairly exposed, and lots of loose sand, so avoid in the wind
• Wildlife: occasional sea lions (you don't want to mess with these)
• Other life: popular dog walking spot (usually not a worry -- sometimes the sheep dogs think you're a runaway sheep though)
• The "out and back and out and back" pattern means that you can be a wimp and quit half way through if the conditions are poor, or you're not feeling well.
• No decent alternative routes if the tide is wrong (so -- you didn't check? Silly you.)

The beach continues for some distance east past the estuary, but to get there you'd have to get your feet very wet indeed. Conceivably you could run up the estuary to the bridge (just visible above) and then down the other side, but I've never bothered. One more image:

(Second image from DenisWilford.com -- taken in 1964, but it hasn't changed a bit)