With the news of Highway 1’s partial collapse near Rocky Creek Bridge earlier this week, Big Sur Marathon officials are scrambling to devise a solution before the race, set for April 28.
“As you can imagine, we have a variety of agendas,” Josh Priester told the Monterey Herald. “We have 25 days until the event.”
An official decision won’t be made until Friday at the earliest, but Priester says nothing—including running the full course—has been ruled out. The course typically begins at Big Sur Station and runs along Highway 1, ending in Carmel.
“CalTrans is still accessing everything,” Priester said to the Monterey Herald. “We are looking at a variety of options, including the race as it is. I would be hesitant, though, to say much more at this time.”
One lane remains open at the site of the collapse, which occurred just over half a mile from the Bixby Bridge, but only road workers are currently permitted to be in the area.
A similar incident in the past altered the 38-year-old race—a landslide in 2011 that occurred further south on Highway 1. The race has only been canceled twice, in 2020 and 2021, both owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2011 course was out-and-back, starting and finishing at the Crossroads in Carmel, veering off to Point Lobos State Park for one portion.
“That is a conversation we need to have with the State Parks,” Priester told the Monterey Herald. “We want to be able to collaborate with our agencies. Sometimes, courses have to change for a variety of reasons.”
This landslide occurred closer to the finish line than in 2011, making the prospect of altering the course a bit trickier, but Priester is hopeful. “As of now, we’re still offering all races,” Priester said. “We have a great committee of support for the marathon. I feel it more than ever.”
While the course is one of the most scenic marathons in the world, Priester admits that the very nature of its location, which provides such beauty, also makes it unpredictable.
“What makes the race so special and unique also makes it vulnerable,” Priester said to the Monterey Herald. “We have a great spot for these events. Sometimes Mother Nature does its thing.”
In a post on Instagram, race officials say they are working with various agencies, including CalTrans, California Highway Patrol, CAL FIRE, Monterey County Sheriff, and California State Parks, to find a possible solution for the marathon. An update is expected at 4 p.m. PT on Thursday.
“We’re working toward a great outcome for thousands of runners,” Priester said. “We want to be as transparent as much as we can. But we’re in holding pattern. We are optimistic the race will go on.”
Laura Ratliff is a New York City-based writer, editor, and runner. Laura's writing expertise spans numerous topics, ranging from travel and food and drink to reported pieces covering political and human rights issues. She has previously worked at Architectural Digest, Bloomberg News, and Condé Nast Traveler and was most recently the senior editorial director at TripSavvy. Like many of us, Laura was bitten by the running bug later in life, after years of claiming to "hate running." Her favorite marathon is Big Sur.
