Running News Daily

Big Sur International Marathon to change route after road collapse

One of North America’s most well-known and scenic marathons, the Big Sur International Marathon, has been forced to change its course three weeks before the April 28th race day due to a road collapse on the Pacific Coast Highway (Highway 1) just south of Carmel-by-the-Sea, California.

Traditionally, the marathon starts at Big Sur Station, covering 42.2 kilometres north on Highway 1 to the Crossroads in Carmel. However, a slip-out from a March 30 rainstorm damaged the southbound lane on Highway 1 near Rocky Creek Bridge, just south of Notleys Landing. As more rain fell later in the week, the situation worsened. “There’s no road,” one local source told Canadian Running.

Highway 1 has been closed to all traffic since March 31st and is only open to locals who live in the area and essential workers.

Despite the road closure, race organizers remained optimistic about holding their 37th annual marathon, now revising it to an out-and-back course from Carmel-by-the-Sea to Notleys Landing. The marathon will start and finish in Carmel-by-the-Sea, bypassing the damaged area. The other races (11-miler, 12K, and 5K) will maintain their original courses, unaffected by the damage.

Josh Priester, the race director for the Big Sur Marathon, said in a press release that the team has been working tirelessly to identify solutions and prepare for race day on April 28th. “I am extremely grateful for the commitment and dedication that I have seen from our entire community supporting us during this process. After multiple discussions, it has been determined that running the point-to-point route from Big Sur to Carmel past the slip-out location is not an option.”

This is not the first time the race has had to deal with a reroute. In 1998 and 2011, the Big Sur International Marathon was also rerouted to an out-and-back format due to a landslide on Highway 1. Each year, the race attracts about 4,500 participants from around the world.

(04/12/2024) Views: 388 ⚡AMP

Stephanie Bruce won the women’s Big Sur 12K—at 18 weeks pregnant—and then held the finish tape for her husband who won the marathon

While elite runner Stephanie Bruce waited for her husband, Ben, to run the Big Sur Marathon last weekend, she “snuck in [her] own little race,” and won. Oh, and she’s 18 weeks pregnant with her third child.

Bruce, who had announced her retirement from professional running in early 2022 and then reversed her decision, was the top female finisher in the Big Sur 12K in 45:41, coming in second overall, just 62 seconds behind first place.

“Averaged 6:09 pace. Proud of that at 18 weeks,” Bruce tweeted.

Bruce told Runner’s World earlier this year that 2022 was a “really amazing year” for her. She finished as the 12th woman in the Boston Marathon, running her second-fastest time (2:28:02), won the USATF 10K Road Championships, broke the Great Cow Harbor 10K course record (31:52), set a road PR at the NYC Mini 10K (31:49), and finished 13th at the New York City Marathon (2:30:34).

“When I look back, I think I had so much that happened to me in 2021; my mom died and then I found out I had a congenital heart condition,” she told Runner’s World last month. “I don’t know if I’d call it a midlife crisis, but I think I just hit a crossroads, and I was really deeply evaluating my life, and I’m like, should I still be running?”

Two weeks ago, Bruce ran 17:04 at the Boston Athletic Association 5K at 16 weeks pregnant, and last week, she posted a gender reveal video on Twitter (it’s a girl!). Plus, after her Big Sur 12K, she held the tape as her husband won the marathon in 2:36:59.

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by Heather Mayer Irvine

Jordon Trof defens his title at Big Sur Marathon

Six days after running a career-best for a marathon in Boston, 21 days after surviving a 150-mile ultra-marathon in the Sahara Desert, Jordan Tropf treated himself to a trip to the California coast.

A mini-vacation with his wife, though, would not be complete without a little competition – or in this case, returning to defend his Big Sur International Marathon title.

“I’m just happy my schedule allowed me to get back out here and feel the energy of this crowd,” said Tropf, an orthopedic surgeon at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center just outside Washington DC.

Still, on an adrenaline rush from clocking a career-best last Monday in Boston, Tropf went out and fed off the crowd down the stretch Sunday to comfortably win the 26-mile, 385-yard Big Sur Marathon in two hours, 26 minutes and 51 seconds.

The time was a record for an individual who ran both Boston and Big Sur one week apart. Tropf ran the Boston Marathon in 2:24.42. The overall meet record for Big Sur was set in 1987 by Brad Hawthorne, who ran 2:16:39.

“I’ll take it,” said the 30-year-old Tropf, who lives in Silver Spring, Maryland and is taking his wife to Yosemite Monday for hiking and sightseeing. “That is so cool.”

Anne Flower made her Big Sur debut memorable, jumping out in front early in capturing the women’s division in 2:49.49 – the only woman to break three hours.

Tropf is building a resume worth nothing, defending his title from 2019 – the last time the Big Sur Marathon was held before the pandemic shut it down the past two years.

Tropf has challenged himself over the past year in his training with 3:30 a.m. runs while becoming a surgeon.

Last year he entered the Guinness Book of World Records after running marathons in Baltimore, Chicago and Boston in three straight days, averaging 2:30 per marathon.

“My fitness is off the charts,” Tropf said. “But with all the miles I’ve logged of late, I was able to keep it together over the final 6 miles.”

The Naval Academy graduate Tropf asserted himself from the start, taking the lead early.

“I tried to keep him close,” said five-time winner Adam Roach of Pacific Grove, who took third. “He was going too fast for my pace in the first mile. I hoped I might be able to reel him in.”

Instead, Tropf set a blistering pace that he maintained over the hilly and at times windy course, averaging 5:36 per mile.

“I just went out early and took the lead,” Tropf said. “I felt good. With how my spring is going, all marathons are different.”

This was Tropf’s seventh marathon of the year, along with his 150-mile, six-stage run through the African desert four weeks ago.

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Big Sur International Marathon makes its return Sunday

Three years is a long time to wait at the starting line. But the Big Sur International Marathon is raring to go.

Canceled in both 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19 safety concerns, the world-renowned race returns this weekend, where a sold out slate of about 9,800 entrants will take part.

“It feels good to be back,” said Doug Thurston, race director and executive director of the Big Sur Marathon Foundation, which organizes both the Big Sur International Marathon and Monterey Bay Half-Marathon each year. “Runners have responded well, and we’re ready for a great race.”

Speaking to an unabated enthusiasm for the event, Thurston explained that racing slots filled as quickly – if not quicker – than they “ever had before.” The Big Sur International Marathon has sold out in each of the past 10 years it has been held. To the excitement of Thurston, the Big Sur Marathon Foundation, and a more than 100-person organizing committee that manages the event year-round, 2022 proved to be no different.

“It’s a great testament to our volunteers and the community,” said Thurston. “The scenery can’t be beat, but good scenery doesn’t mean a great race. Great volunteers and community support for more than 30 years speaks volumes to how important the race is. (And) they’re anxious to provide a world-class experience to people this weekend.”

The much-anticipated affair will kick off early Sunday morning, with marathoners taking their mark at Big Sur Station at 6:35 a.m. Beyond the 26-mile, 365-yard scenic stretch along Highway 1, runners are set to take part in a host of other races happening alongside the big distance, including a 21-miler, 11-miler, 12K and 5K. All are set to commence before 8 a.m. Sunday.

Though years have passed since runners were last invited to skirt the Big Sur coastline, Thurston said the course itself is reminiscent of previous races, barring a few recent upgrades meant to render routes safer. Those include a freshly paved roadway and a revamped starting line process, Thurston said.

Yet, what may bring an added element of notoriety to this year’s slate of races – apart from the anticipation of their return – is an enhanced backdrop, Thurston continued, even if topping the peak of picturesque is hard to imagine.

“I think these mid-spring rains that we had last weekend and are anticipating over the next couple of days will make this one of the most green and most spectacular races for runners to enjoy,” he explained. “There’s going to be some special color along hills with wildflowers and things. … It’s going to be beautiful.”

Entrants set to relish in the panoramic trek include five-time Big Sur International Marathon men’s champion Adam Roach, defending 2019 men’s champion Jordan Tropf and elite runner Ben Bruce. Between the three, Thurston is anticipating an “interesting” race, particularly among Tropf and Bruce, who both just competed in the Boston Marathon Monday.

The Big Sur International Marathon includes a special category for those runners determined enough to take on both events: Boston 2 Big Sur. Attracting 400 of the world’s fittest athletes, the challenge combines Boston and Big Sur chip times and awards participants for their pace across the two marathons. This year, the races are less than six days apart. That’s more than 52 miles of running in the span of a week.

Besides those poised to push racing limits, Thurston said he’s particularly looking forward to a group of runners he dubs the “grizzled veterans,” who have participated in every Big Sur International Marathon since it started in 1986.

Still, Thurston said well over a majority  – more than 80% – of entrants in the races each year are first and only timers to the event.

“For thousands and thousands of runners, this is their one opportunity to experience something like this,” he said.

That desire to check off the Big Sur International Marathon on a larger running bucket list, Thurston added, is a factor in why 30% of runners previously entered in the canceled 2020 event returned this year to finally satisfy their ambition. These already listed entrants had priority coming into the 2022 race. Thurston is glad to see some retain their racing plans two years later.

“People had invested time and energy in preparing for the race,” he said. “Nobody knew in the summer of 2019 when folks registered that there would be a pandemic in late winter of 2020. …But it was canceled five to six weeks before they could participate. Now they can look forward to doing it again.”

For non-runners looking to watch, the only spectating opportunity will be at the finish line at Rio Road in Carmel. There will be no points to watch at the start or along the course. Non-official bicycles are likewise not allowed Sunday. While the marathon goes on – which is bound to a six-hour course limit – Highway 1 will be closed to traffic. It will reopen at 1 p.m. Sunday.

While proof of vaccination or recent negative test will not be required to attend the event per current county guidelines, organizers are strongly encouraging all entrants and attendees to arrive fully vaccinated or be tested for COVID within 48 hours of their visit if unvaccinated. Thurston also noted that masks will be worn on buses carting runners to the starting line. Those taking part in Friday and Saturday’s pre-race Health and Fitness Expo at the Monterey Conference Center will also be asked to wear masks, Thurston said.

More information about this weekend’s Big Sur International Marathon can be found at https://www.bigsurmarathon.org/.

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by Tess Kenny

Big Sur Marathon will return in 2022

The absence of the world-renowned Big Sur International Marathon for the past two years has left a void for the local running community. But while normalcy remains in the distance, organizers from the Big Sur Marathon Foundation have announced the event is returning on April 24, 2022.

“That’s our goal,” said Doug Thurston, race director and executive director of the Big Sur Marathon Foundation.

Registration for the race will begin Monday.

The decision to bring back the marathon was made with input from a health advisory committee the Big Sur Marathon Foundation formed in navigating through the pandemic.

“We looked at the current and projected data,” Thurston said. “We felt by April the pandemic would be a little more settled, and more importantly, the rate of vaccination use will be high enough for runners and volunteers to feel safe.”

The event has sold out in each of the past 10 years it has been held, bringing thousands of runners from all over the world to take part in one of the more grueling, but picturesque races on the globe.

“It is a bucket list event,” Thurston said. “More than 80 percent of our marathon competitors do it one time.”

All of next April’s events could come with strings attached. While nothing has been decided, it’s likely that proof of vaccination or a negative test for COVID will be required to compete.

“What we are saying at this point is runners and volunteers should all anticipate that they’ll need to show proof of vaccination or have a negative test three days before the race,” Thurston said.

Because priority for the marathon race will go to entrants from the canceled 2020 race, availability to the general public could mean fewer spots in 2022.

“We have not reduced capacity as much as we are providing priority to those that signed up in 2020,” Thurston said. “We don’t know how many of those 2020 entrants will return. But we think the number of available spots for the general public will be fewer.”

While there are several other shorter races going on along Highway 1 simultaneously during the marathon, the maximum entrees for the 26-mile, 385-yard event is limited to 5,000.

“Based on the interest we’ve gathered, we anticipated all the races to sell out,” Thurston said.

There will be another registration date in late November that will be called a second chance drawing, according to Thurston.

Because the Big Sur Marathon Committee doesn’t know how many spots will open up, it will have just two drawings this year.

“We have a supply and demand situation,” Thurston said. “Historically, we have more people that want to get in than we have space. So we’ve gone to a random drawing this year.”

The Monterey Bay Half Marathon, which is also organized by the Big Sur Marathon Committe and has traditionally been run in November, has been canceled the past two years because of the pandemic.

Thurston said the two annual races often raise more than $400,000 for 100 non-profit organizations in the county,

“We’re a nonprofit organization raising money for other nonprofit organizations,” Thurston said. “It’s been trying times for our organization to not give grants to the community. It’s why we put these races on.”

While the past 18 months have been challenging for the Big Sur Marathon Committee, Thurston said that the organization is looking forward, not backward.

“In some ways, it went real slow,” Thurston said. “But here we are getting ready for April, 2022. As the pandemic has taught us over and over again, it makes its own rules. Most of the plans you make are subjective to whatever is happening with the pandemic.”

Because the race day experience is primarily outdoors, Thurston is confident that the event can be held in a safe and healthy manner as runners flood scenic Highway 1, where often the only sounds are the shoes slapping pavement, the wind howling off Hurricane Point and the ocean waves crashing against the rocks below.

“We will follow whatever the federal, state and county health departments provide,” Thurston said. “We are a health and fitness organization. We feel April 24 will be a viable date to host the race.”

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by John Devine

The Big Sur Marathon Foundation (BSMF) Taps Blistering Pace Race Management as Organization Reboots

As the running industry eagerly returns to in-person racing, the Big Sur Marathon Foundation (BSMF) is excited to announce their expanded partnership with Napa-based Blistering Pace Race Management (BPRM). On October 1, 2020, the Big Sur Marathon Foundation suspended most business operations in order to preserve resources during pandemic-era shutdowns. As California begins to lift restrictions and develops guidelines for large in-person events, the organization is planning for 2022 events with BPRM and Race Director, Doug Thurston, at the helm.

BPRM, who has worked with BSMF since 2016, is expanding their scope of work with more operational responsibilities and added marketing and communications, sponsorship, and registrations.

“After working with the Big Sur Marathon Foundation in increasing capacities for the last five years, we have been fortunate to learn about their events, work alongside their staff, board of directors, and committee members, and build a very strong relationship of trust between us,” said Michelle La Sala, President of Blistering Pace Race Management. “We are thrilled to take the next step with the foundation and look forward to delivering continued success and a world-class participant experience.”

In order to allow adequate time to plan and execute a safe event weekend, BSMF’s next in-person race is the Big Sur Marathon weekend of events scheduled for April 22-24, 2022.  The next in-person Monterey Bay Half Marathon weekend is planned for November 11-13, 2022.

“We’re excited to expand our relationship with Blistering Pace,” said Doug Thurston, race director. “She has built a world-class team that is dedicated to the runner experience and helping our non-profit organization rebuild from the effects of the pandemic.”

The Big Sur Marathon Foundation’s mission is to “create beautiful running events that promote health and benefit our community.” BSMF aims to expand upon their mission by employing BPRM’s strategic counsel and professional implementation for their two flagship races. BPRM brings six years of wide-ranging industry experience to the BSMF portfolio of events, along with a full-time staff of five.

About Blistering Pace Race Management

Founded in 2016, BPRM works in a variety of race management capacities, ranging from staffing to full operational oversight. Clients include the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon, 10K & 5K, the Napa Valley Marathon and Half Marathon, the Big Sur Marathon Foundation, the Bank of America Chicago Marathon, and the TCS New York City Marathon. For more information, visit the website.

 About the Big Sur Marathon Foundation

The Big Sur Marathon Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to create beautiful running events that promote health and benefit the community. Under the brand are two individual race weekends: Big Sur International Marathon in April and the Monterey Bay Half Marathon in November. For more information, visit www.bsim.org #bigsurmarathon

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by Running USA

Big Sur Marathon Foundation Suspends Operations Amidst Pandemic

Plans for all 2021 races have been frozen until further notice

CARMEL, CA –The Big Sur Marathon Foundation (BSMF) announced Thursday that they will suspend all race operations, effective September 30, 2020. Citing the many unknowns concerning the coronavirus pandemic, organizers say the timeline for resuming race planning and registrations is unclear and ever-changing.

“We are devastated about canceling all our in-person events and programs for 2020 and now for 2021,” said Race Director Doug Thurston. “That said, we have refocused our staff’s creative efforts on producing our Big Surreal Virtual Challenge and look forward to hearing how our runners enjoy the experience.”

By placing the 36-year-old nonprofit organization in a  hibernation of sorts, race officials hope to minimize financial and operational damage so the organization can once again organize world-class races when safe to do so. Securing permits  to hold large mass-participation events  like marathons likely won’t happen until vaccines or other coronavirus therapeutics are widely in use. 

As a result, the following events/programs have been cancelled:

The November 2020 Monterey Bay Half Marathon in-person and virtual races. Registration had not yet opened for either event.

The JUST RUN youth fitness program for the 2020-2021 school year.

BSMF has suspended all plans for the following 2021 events/programs:

The April 2021 Big Sur Marathon weekend of races

The June 2021 Run in the Name of Love

The November 2021 Monterey Bay Half Marathon 

With no current races on the horizon, the BSMF Board also made the difficult decision to reduce their staff to just two employees – Race Director Doug Thurston and Administrative Manager Chris Balog. Five of the organization’s seven full-time employees have been laid off.

The organization says it will continue to monitor updates regarding the pandemic including vaccine development and distribution and remain hopeful that they will be able to safely hold races and other programs in 2022.

For answers to common questions related to these updates, please visit the FAQ page located on the Big Sur Marathon website. BSMF asks fans to continue to monitor their social media pages and websites for updates in the months to come.

The Big Sur Marathon Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to create beautiful running events that promote health and benefit the community. Under the brand are three individual race weekends: Big Sur International Marathon in April,Run in the Name of Love 5K and 2K in June, and theMonterey Bay Half Marathon, 5K and 3K in November. In addition, the Foundation oversees the award-winning JUST RUN® youth fitness program.

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Big Sur Marathon and Half have become another victim of COVID-19

Six weeks after postponing race weekend, Big Sur International Marathon organizers canceled this year’s marathon and all related events Wednesday because of the fluid developments of the coronavirus pandemic.

The marathon, which in early March was still on schedule for April 26, was rescheduled in April for Nov. 15. The Monterey Bay Half Marathon, originally scheduled Nov. 15 on its traditional course in Monterey and Pacific Grove for the same day, was moved to Nov. 14.

Now, all of the events, with one exception, will return next year, likely including auxiliary races canceled when the marathon was originally postponed. The Monterey Bay Half Marathon will be held as a virtual event Nov. 14.

Registration for the virtual Monterey Bay Half Marathon will open this summer with details pending.

“The (race) board made the decision based on a variety of factors, including the phased state reopening plan,” said Doug Thurston, executive director and race director. “It’s a concern for the safety of participants, volunteers and the community, and access to needed public safety and medical resources including volunteers and PPE (personal protection equipment).”

Among the country’s most popular marathons, the 35th annual race was expected to include its recent year field participant demographics.

According to Thurston, marathon events have about 425 entrants among 9,000 runners from outside of the United States. About 39 percent of the international participants are from Canada with 40 from other countries.

The data was the impetus for organizers to keep the marathon as originally scheduled. As the pandemic severity advanced, the event was postponed.

“Since we last communicated with you on April 13, California adopted a comprehensive reopening plan,” organizers detailed on the marathon’s website. “In this plan, it now appears that mass gathering events like our weekend of races will not be possible until the final reopening phase when a vaccine or other therapeutics are widely available.”

The marathon had never previously been canceled, but poor air quality from the Camp Fire forced the cancellation of the 2018 Monterey Bay Half Marathon.

Thurston said the marathon organization has canceled several other events in the past five years, including the 2016 Salinas Valley Half Marathon and four other races, including three this year.

“Our team conducted a very thorough analysis in order to provide our runners with the greatest restitution possible,” organizers explained on the event’s website. “Races around the country and world have offered various entry restitution programs according to each organization’s unique situation.

“Unfortunately, our organization has had to weather five race cancellations in the last four years due to circumstances beyond our control. Providing a higher refund or deferrals to future races are not viable options if we want to ensure our organization has the capacity to put on races once again in better times.”

To originally reschedule the marathon and its corresponding runs and walks, organizers worked with businesses throughout the Monterey Peninsula to determine if the Monterey Conference Center and host hotels would be able to participate.

“We went right down the line,” said Thurston. “It obviously took some time particularly with people out of work or sheltering employees or just not available. But we were able to put in in place.”

Local businesses will now be without marathon-related revenues.

The Big Sur Marathon Foundation, a non-profit organization, typically provides nearly $400,000 in annual grants to more than 100 other Monterey County-based nonprofit organizations.

This year, organizers reported that with the loss of more than $2 million in entry fees and other income sources due to event cancellations, it will be unable to provide support to the organizations.

Race organizers also announced all of the 2020 Big Sur Marathon, Relay, 21-Miler, 11-Miler, 12K, and 5K are eligible to receive a 60 percent refund of their entry fee or opt to donate their entry fee to our nonprofit organization.

WeatherTech Laguna Seca Raceway has also amended its yearly calendar several times because of the coronavirus. Its current 2020 calendar is scheduled to begin with the Monterey Pre-Reunion, Aug. 8-9.

“We are assessing the feasibility of being able to hold the Monterey Motorsports Reunion this August,” said Barry Toepke, Director of Marketing and Communications. “We are in close touch with many of our participants who have been accepted to gauge how they feel coming to Monterey.

“Our highest priority is for the safety and well-being of the participants, their crews and families, as well as guests and our community, and have strict protocols ready to be enacted. A final decision will be made very shortly after objectively assessing the landscape with County of Monterey officials.”

The Sea Otter Classic, also held at Laguna Seca Raceway and surrounding areas, was postponed from its usual April dates to a four-day event schedule and expo still scheduled beginning Sept. 30

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I was suppose to be running the Big Sur Marathon today

Today was the day I was supposed to run the Big Sur International Marathon. With all major races cancelled or postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic I am reading about all my fellow runners moving forward with their own virtual races. I did about 10 miles this weekend, but got too bored on my treadmill to go a full marathon. Looking forward to when we can race for real again.

(04/26/2020) Views: 1,508 ⚡AMP
by Winton Jew

The date for this year’s Big Sur Marathon has been confirmed after being postponed due to COVID-19

A month after it was postponed because of the coronavirus, organizers of the Big Sur International Marathon announced Monday the 35th edition will be part of a revamped version of an area traditional running weekend in November.

The marathon, originally scheduled April 26 but postponed because of coronavirus concerns, will be held Sunday, Nov. 15 from Big Sur to Carmel. The Monterey Bay Half Marathon, originally scheduled Nov. 15 on its traditional course in Monterey and Pacific Grove, has been moved to Saturday, Nov. 14.

“We don’t really have any goals as far as participation,” said Race Director Doug Thurston. “We hope as many of the April 2020 entrants will come back on Nov. 15.

“We will be prepared for them. But I think just having an event this year with all of the craziness in the world, I think that will be considered a win.”

In addition to the marathon and half-marathon changes, marathon organizers said other distance races originally planned for April 26 have also been switched to Monterey Bay Half Marathon weekend. All April race distances, except the 5K and 3K, will be held Sunday, Nov. 15 in their original locations on Highway 1.

Registrants who entered the April 5K will automatically be registered for a new 5K to be integrated within the Half Marathon on Nov. 14. The By-the-Bay 3K will not be held this year.

“First, we want to thank you for your patience and support over these past few weeks as our board, staff, and volunteers worked to navigate this new reality,” said event management via its website announcement.

While other Peninsula events postponed or canceled events this year, Big Sur organizers were hopeful of maintaining original dates. A decision was made in mid-March to postpone.

To reschedule, organizers worked with businesses throughout the Monterey Peninsula to determine if, for example, the Monterey Conference Conference and host hotels, would be able to participate.

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Organizers of the 35th Annual Big Sur International Marathon postponed Due to Growing Coronavirus Threat

Organizers of the 35th Annual Big Sur International Marathon, originally set for Sunday, April 26th, have announced that the race will be postponed until later this year. Over the past several weeks, the Big Sur Marathon Foundation has been monitoring updates from county, state, federal, and international public safety and health agencies regarding the global coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. With state and local efforts to control the virus expanding quickly, the Foundation’s governance board, medical director, and race officials decided that postponing the race is the best way to help ensure the safety of participants, volunteers, spectators, and residents.

Race officials are currently coordinating with local agencies, partners, and other impacted entities to secure a reschedule date for the 2020 Big Sur Marathon, Relay, 21-Miler, 11-Miler, 12K, and 5K. They aim to reschedule for late summer or early fall and plan to update participants as soon as a date is secured. The By-the-Bay 3K, which draws roughly 4,500 schoolchildren from Monterey County Schools each year, will not be rescheduled for 2020.

“Like our participants, we were disappointed to have to move the race to a later date, but we strongly feel it is the responsible thing to do,” said Doug Thurston, Race Director and Executive Director of the Big Sur Marathon Foundation. “This situation is moving so quickly locally, nationally, and world-wide and we all have to work together to try to stop the spread of this virus.”

Registered runners in the 2020 Big Sur Marathon weekend of events will be given the chance to run their race on the rescheduled date or choose from other options, the details of which are in process. Thurston said all options will be made public as soon as possible.

“We understand a postponement might not work for some of our participants and we are working hard to determine alternate options for those runners,” Thurston said. “We appreciate the patience, understanding, and concern of all those affected during this stressful time.”

The mission of the Big Sur Marathon Foundation is to “create beautiful running events that promote health and benefit [the Monterey County] community.” This year, the marathon and other race weekend distances were scheduled to receive a sold-out, 13,000-plus participant field from all 50 U.S. states and 40 countries. To hold the Big Sur Marathon next month would be in direct opposition to the organization’s mission of promoting health. The swiftly evolving nature of the COVID-19 pandemic caused race officials also to consider the event’s potential impact on local health care and public safety resources.

“When we conduct one of our races, we partner with several local health-care and public safety resources. We need to ensure that these resources are available for our community,” said Thurston.

The Big Sur International Marathon is produced by the Big Sur Marathon Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the health of the Monterey County community. The organization carries out its mission by providing grants to local groups who volunteer at Foundation races throughout the year and other charitable programs including the year-round JUST RUN youth fitness program.

The 2020 Big Sur Marathon is the third Foundation event to be affected by situations outside the organization’s control. The Salinas Valley Half Marathon in 2016 and the Monterey Bay Half Marathon in 2018 were canceled due to poor air quality from nearby wildfires.

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HydraPak will bring its premium reusable hydration to Support Cupless Racing at Big Sur Marathon

With over a decade of uninterrupted designation as a zero-waste event organization, the Big Sur Marathon Foundation (BSMF) is excited to announce a partnership with HydraPak as their official reusable hydration gear partner. HydraPak will bring its premium reusable hydration product line and sustainability mission to participants and visitors of the 35th Annual Big Sur International Marathon this April. 

Crafted in Northern California, HydraPak designs and produces flexible performance hydration systems aimed at reducing single-use waste and supporting athletes and adventure-seekers in the pursuit of personal goals.

BSMF prioritizes the development of ecologically and environmentally-sustainable practices and is always looking for new ways to conserve resources. The marathon’s budding partnership with HydraPak is the first step in the organization’s quest to eliminate all single-use cups on course at BSMF events. 

Participants in the 2020 Big Sur Marathon and related race weekend events will be invited to opt-in to a cupless experience during their race. The Big Sur Marathon Foundation and HydraPak are aiming for a 33% opt-in rate for participants across all race weekend events, eliminating tens of thousands of single-use cups on course.

The first 4,000 participants to take the cupless pledge will receive a complimentary Big Sur Marathon branded SpeedCup™, courtesy of HydraPak. It is hoped these participants will use this cup during their race, and after crossing the finish line in the recovery zone and finish village. With 11 aid stations on course, each marathon participant who takes the cupless pledge will potentially reduce their individual disposable footprint by 22-33 cups. Custom branded hydration offerings will also be available for sale online and at the Health & Fitness Expo, held the two days before the marathon.

Starting this year, the Big Sur 12K, the only distance to run through the Point Lobos State Natural Reserve, will be a cupless race.  All participants will receive a HydraPak SpeedCup™ to use at the refill-only fluid station inside the park, saving over 1,500 disposable cups from being distributed on course and avoiding any cup waste in the sensitive area.

"Finding ways to reduce our footprint is always top of mind," said Doug Thurston, race director and executive director of the Big Sur Marathon Foundation. "We’ve made several important shifts to more sustainable practices and the decision to bring HydraPak on board to help us reduce single-use cups on course is a natural progression. We are very pleased to partner with HydraPak on this program.”

HydraPak’s collapsible and reusable SpeedCup was designed specifically for runners, and offers an alternative to single-use cups at race events. Made of ultra-light TPU, a 100% BPA and PVC-free material, the SpeedCup’s flexible design allows runners to collapse the cup and stuff it in their pocket or use the integrated finger loop, making for easy transport from start to finish.

“We’re eager to add value to the sustainability efforts of the BSMF by adopting the use of reusable hydration solutions with their road race events,” said Morgan Makowski, Director of Marketing at HydraPak. “Not only are we reducing waste with reusable cups, but we’re helping educate runners and other event hosts about different environmental impacts.”

The Big Sur International Marathon will celebrate its 35th presentation on April 26th, 2020, with 15,000 total entrants expected in seven different races. The full marathon and all other Sunday race distances are sold out with limited spots still available in the innovative Boston 2 Big Sur Challenge and Saturday’s 3K event in Pacific Grove. 

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2020 Big Sur International Marathon Random Drawings offer runners multiple opportunities to secure an entry into this iconic race

Registration to enter a series of random drawings for the April 26, 2020 Big Sur International Marathon, will begin on Monday, July 15th.

The Big Sur International Marathon has sold out for years and is a “bucket list” race for runners from around the globe. To increase accessibility to this popular event, the Big Sur Marathon Foundation offers various drawings and entry categories to earn a spot in the late-April race.

The Groups and Couples drawing will be held first, followed by Loyalty, Locals, First-Timers, and finally, the Last Chance drawing. Prospective participants wishing to bypass the random drawings can enter through one of four first-come, first-served categories: Big Sur VIP presented by HOKA ONE ONE®, Marathon Tours, Boston 2 Big Sur, and JUST RUN Charity Entries.

“This is the fifth year for us to use a random drawing for the majority of Marathon entries,” said Doug Thurston, Executive Director and Race Director for the Big Sur Marathon Foundation. “Our system provides multiple opportunities and has helped thousands of new and returning runners enjoy our race.”

The schedule to register for the various categories is as follows:

GROUPS & COUPLES: Registration takes place 7/15 – 7/23 with results announced on 7/25. This category is for groups of two to 15 people who want to participate only if everyone in the group is chosen.

LOYALTY: Registration open from 7/26 – 8/5; results announced 8/6. For those who have finished one or more 26.2-mile Big Sur Marathons.

LOCALS: Registration open from 7/29 – 8/7; results announced 8/8. For both veteran and first-time marathoners whose primary residence is in Monterey County, CA (939XX zip code).

FIRST TIMERS: Registration open from 7/31 – 8/11; results announced 8/12. For those who have never finished the 26.2-mile Big Sur Marathon.

LAST CHANCE: Registration open from 8/12 – 8/20; results announced 8/21. For anyone not selected or who didn’t participate in earlier drawings.

There is no fee to enter any of the drawings.

(07/09/2019) Views: 2,079 ⚡AMP

Jordan Tropf was not well known by others at the Big Sur Marathon but he took the lead from the start and pulled away to the finish

The Big Sur International Marathon had more than 4,000 runners tackle the 26.2-mile course along the Pacific Ocean on Sunday.  

Jordan Tropf was the winner clocking 2:25:21.

This is the first year in a long time that a new face has won the marathon.

D'Ann Arthur, 31, of Redondo Beach won the women's overall division clocking 2:45:41. Arthur is in residency for orthopedic surgery in Southern California.

Tropf is a Navy doctor from Silver Springs, Maryland, who said that he set a personal record on Sunday. He was the race leader from start to finish. 

Defending male champion and local favorite, Adam Roach, 33, of Pacific Grove, placed second.  Michael Wardian placed fourth and was first master.  

Adam and Michael have dominated the annual race the past few years, having won the last seven races between them. But Wardian told Roach before the sun came up Sunday to be aware of Jordan Tropf, who won the Baltimore Marathon in 2017.

“I didn’t know he was even in the race until Michael mentioned him on the ride out,” said Roach, a Pacific Grove resident.

Tropf wasn’t on the list of elite runners entered in the race, although he is ranked among the nation’s top 200 marthoners having run 2 hours, 27 minutes and 23 seconds at the Boston Marathon on April 15 and 2:26.45 in the Marine Corps Marathon in October.

But Roach wasn’t sure which runner Tropf was until a few miles into race. By then, the Navy doctor had become a blur ahead of him, running off with the men’s division in 2:25:22.

“I had set a goal to get under 2:30,” said the 27-year-old Tropf, who is in the Naval Academy. “I just went out and ran my race and didn’t worry about anyone else.”

D’Ann Arthur of Redondo Beach didn’t let a night out for a wedding slow her down, as she went out and won the women’s race in 2:48.40 — nearly 13 minutes faster than last year’s winning time.

Tropf set a blistering pace that caught Roach — a five-time champion at Big Sur – off guard. He led from the start and gradually extended his lead throughout the 26-mile, 385-yard majestic course.

Running a 5:32 mile pace, Tropf’s time was nearly four minutes faster than Roach’s winning time last year and over five minutes faster than Wardian’s winning time in 2017.

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Gene Dykes, 71, is looking to break the Big Sur International Marathon record for his age group this weekend

For someone who has done two marathons 24 hours apart, two weeks between Boston and Big Sur may seem like an eternity for Gene Dykes.

Unlike others that have challenged themselves by doing the two marathons in a short time span, it’s not the reason Dykes is running in Sunday’s 34th Big Sur International Marathon.

Instead, the Philadelphia resident is calling it unfinished business from his last trip out west to run the world-renowned course.

“They took my record away when I was 65,” Dykes said. “I owned the course record in my age class for about two months. Then it was discovered on paper that someone ran faster years earlier.”

Ray Piva set the record in the 65-69 age division in 1992 at 3 hours, 10 minutes. Dykes ran 3:26.44 in 2013.

Dykes, 71, can’t get that record back. But he’s looked at the record in the 70-older division — 3:46.36 by Heinrich Gutbier in 1997. His eyes are set on rewriting the mark, adding to his mantel of record-setting accomplishments of late.

“I shouldn’t have trouble beating that mark,” said Dykes, who broke the Boston Marathon record in his age group on April 15, clocking 2 hours, 58 minutes, 50 seconds. “It’s how fast do I want to go.”

What could derail Dykes from shattering the record is he will run the race with his daughter, who is roughly 30 minutes slower than him in a marathon.

“It will depend on how long we run together,” Dykes said. “I’m going to try and get her to run a little harder in the first half. Then I’ll do a negative split the last half of the race.”

While Dykes is six years older than during his last appearance on the Monterey Peninsula, he’s gotten faster covering marathons of all kinds. Most of his personal bests have come in the last year.

“I hired a coach a few years back,” Dykes said. “I just keep dropping time. It’s more of a retirement achievement.”

This will be Dykes’ third crack at Big Sur, but the first time he’s running it after tackling Boston in the same year.

“I guess I’ve always wanted to do Boston-Big Sur,” Dykes said. “Running marathons close together is nothing new to me. It seemed like a good time to do it. Two weeks is plenty of time to recover.”

Dykes’ accomplishments as an ultra distance runner have gained nationwide attention. Last year, the Wall Street Journal labeled him “Earth’s fastest 70-year-old distance runner.”

After setting the record at Boston, men’s winner Meb Keflezighi tweeted “Special shout out to 71-year-old Gene Dykes, who ran an outstanding 2:58.50.”

For someone who didn’t run his first road race until 12 years ago, Dykes has become one of the top ultramarathon runners in his age class in the world.

“I was a jogger my whole life,” Dykes said. “I wasn’t very good in track in high school or college. I was a mediocre runner at best. So I golfed and bowled a lot. I jogged for fun.”

That is until Dykes got in with what he now jokes as a bad crowd — a group of runners, who talked him into his first road race, a half marathon in 2006.

From that point, running became an addiction. Dykes ran well enough that his time allowed him to bypass the lottery for the New York Marathon.

“I could not pass that up,” Dykes said. “So I ran my first marathon. I ended up earning a qualifying time for Boston. So I had to do that.”

By his estimation, Dykes will do 10 to 20 road races a year ranging from 200 miles to the regular 26-mile, 385-yard marathon.

“I race longer and more frequent,” Dykes said. “I’ve done five 200 milers. It’s an endurance race. The clock is running. You run when you can and sleep when you have to. I’ve done them in four days.”

Six weeks before Boston, Dykes completed a 200-mile race, a 100-mile event and two 50-mile races in 2019.

“Every year I try and stretch the boundaries,” Dykes said. “I don’t know if I can do it. So there’s only one way to find out. The hardest part is finding time to sleep. Four hours over four days isn’t much.”

Dykes comes into each race with a plan. After completing his ultra road races — totaling 400 miles — he began preparing for Boston with the mindset of breaking the record in his age division.

“I told my coach you’ve got six weeks to get me under three hours at Boston,” Dykes said

(04/27/2019) Views: 2,272 ⚡AMP
by John Devine

I used to dislike hills so much - Michael Anderson on Running File 5

I remember my first marathon (Big Sur) and the days before driving the course. It is a very hilly point to point course on hwy one in Northern California.

Flash forward I did finish in just over 4 hrs.  They have one hill called "hurricane hill" at the 13 mile mark, I remember getting to the top and saying "efff this, never again will hills be a challenge.”

After this race I realized how important hill training is to a training schedule. No matter what you cannot escape hills, they are all around me in my home town.  

I can hate them or learn to love them. I decided to love them and take them as mini accomplishments that need to be conquered. You grind it to the top and then look out over the views, it is very rewarding. I go heavy on hills on all my courses as most trail races are all about getting verticals it’s inevitable.

Hills and loving them!

I find the biggest hills near my house and run them regularly.   You might not think it is helping you because it seems slow but you need to run hills to handle them.  Just do them!  But don’t run hills more than twice weekly and put a day or two in between. 

I love to put my head down and take it one step at a time, sometimes if it’s a new hill I walk very steep sections and then know what the hard parts are and I can be better prepared on my next time up.

Take it as it comes and never say never.  The more you run hills the easier they will become. 

Michael Anderson on Running is a regular My Best Runs column. 

(02/10/2019) Views: 2,338 ⚡AMP
by Michael Anderson

The Big Sur Marathon Foundation has announced it will be making a donation of $110,550 to Northern California Fire Relief

The Big Sur Marathon Foundation has announced it will be making a donation of $110,550 to the North Valley Community Foundation following the cancellation of the 2018 Monterey Bay Half Marathon. The 16th Annual Monterey Bay Half Marathon, scheduled for Sunday, November 11th, was canceled due to smoke from the Camp Fire, located in Butte County northeast of the Monterey and Pacific Grove race course.

On Wednesday, November 14th, the 7,600 paid entrants in last year’s Monterey Bay Half Marathon were notified of their eligibility to choose one of five deferral or donation options. As of January 1, 2019, roughly 80 percent of these entrants had made their deferral or donation selection. Just over two-thirds of respondents chose to defer their registration to the 2019 Monterey Bay Half Marathon while 25 percent chose to donate $75 of their entry fee to Northern California Fire Relief. The deferral and donation options and the percentage of runners who chose each option are as follows:

67% - Defer my 2018 Half Marathon entry to the November 10, 2019 Monterey Bay Half Marathon

25% - Donate $75 of my entry fee to a non-profit agency supporting Northern California Fire Relief

5% - Defer my 2018 Half Marathon entry to the November 15, 2020 Monterey Bay Half Marathon

2% - Donate $75 of my entry fee to Monterey County charities funded by the Big Sur Marathon Foundation

1% - Defer my 2018 Half Marathon entry to the November 14, 2021 Monterey Bay Half Marathon

“We appreciate the strong response from runners wanting to return to the Monterey Bay area this November and also those who want to help the many folks who were affected by this devastating fire,” said Doug Thurston, Executive Director and Race Director for the Big Sur Marathon Foundation, organizers of the event.

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Maybe the most beautiful and most challenging Marathon in the world, Big Sur

Sunday April 29 is the Big Sur Marathon on the Monterey Bay in Northern California. The course is 26.2 miles of the most beautiful coastline in the world - and, for runners, the most challenging. The athletes who participate in the Big Sur International Marathon may draw inspiration from the spectacular views, but it takes major discipline to conquer the hills of Highway One on the way to the finish line. Named "Best Marathon in North America" by The Ultimate Guide to Marathons, the Big Sur International Marathon continues to sell out earlier and earlier each year and, as a major destination marathon, draws entrants from all over the world. On their way from Big Sur to Carmel's Rio Road, runners wind through majestic redwoods and past Pacific Ocean views. If you have not entered put it on your bucket list for next year. It does sell out very quickly however. Check their website for details. (04/18/2018) Views: 2,131 ⚡AMP

Running on the Ragged Edge of the Western World

MBR PHOTO OF THE WEEK: "The Big Sur International Marathon is a point-to-point course run on scenic CA Highway 1 from Big Sur to Carmel the last Sunday each April. Towering redwoods, crashing waves, coastal mountains and verdant pastures are featured on this bucket list course. The centerpiece of the course is the iconic Bixby Bridge, located at the halfway point of the race, where you’ll be greeted by a tuxedo-ed musician playing a Yamaha Baby Grand Piano." Beautiful and challenging! (12/12/2017) Views: 1,707 ⚡AMP