Big Sur International Marathon
Race Day Weather
Mild start, headwinds ahead
Runners will face a steady temperature rise from 55°F to 63°F, with maximum winds reaching 10 mph from the NW creating headwinds in multiple segments. The humidity is moderate at 70%, encouraging hydration strategies throughout. Challenging headwinds will affect pacing significantly from miles 1-9 and again from miles 11-24, making it essential to conserve energy on the climbs and adjust expectations accordingly.
The finish is 21 miles from the start, so we look at it at 2 points, not just the start line. In a typical year, at 9:00/mi, you start at 55° and finish around 10:40 AM in 55°; typical start-line conditions say 61° then.
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Race Day Tips
Be prepared for the challenging climb at Hurricane Point around mile 11-12, as it can significantly slow your pace. Monitor your heart rate and consider walking if it exceeds your comfort zone.
During the first five miles, which are mostly downhill, resist the urge to start too fast. Aim for a controlled pace to avoid burning out early on the hilly course.
Be prepared for the challenging climb at Hurricane Point around mile 11-12, as it can significantly slow your pace. Monitor your heart rate and consider walking if it exceeds your comfort zone.
During the first five miles, which are mostly downhill, resist the urge to start too fast. Aim for a controlled pace to avoid burning out early on the hilly course.
Tips from runner race reports
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Reviews & Race Reports
The Final Climb — The last hill near the finish is a beast. Many runners hit the wall here after battling fatigue, with some needing to walk briefly to regroup.
Starting Line Logistics — Arrive early! The staging area fills up fast, and lines for porta potties can exceed 20 people. Expect a packed bus ride to the start.
Early Miles and Confidence — The first five miles are mostly downhill through the redwoods. Enjoy the scenic views and the energy of fellow runners — it sets a positive tone for the race.
Fought through rain and hills, finished strong with a PR pace
The race starts uphill immediately, which felt very familiar due to my training and was no problem, but I immediately saw other folks struggle out the start. I felt really fresh and the rain had temporarily stopped, so I got out to a quicker start than I anticipated, but knew it wasn't too fast that I would be cooked later. I went by RPE (4 out of 10) and made sure my first 3 miles felt easy - even though it poured the entire 2nd mile, which I actually tried to have fun with.
Struggled with nutrition and fatigue on a stunning course
It was a rainy start with a consistent drizzle. I ran at goal pace through mile 8 till the first hill and slowed down a bit. This was to be expected. I could not stomach any more gus though and only managed 3 gus throughout the course.
Struggled up Hurricane Hill but recovered to finish strong
Mile 11-12: fighting up hurricane hill. I did my best to measure my heart rate and walk whenever I went over 165, until I was back down below 150. Jogged/ran more than I expected to but still slowed down significantly. By mile 12 I was starting to feel miserable as I was soaked through and my clothes were sticking to me, tried rolling my sleeves up and down and fussing with it mostly made it worse. Ate fourth xact bar and a couple of fruit snacks on the hill.
Ignored injury, ran strong first half, struggled after mile 20
At the start of the race the sun had just come up. The beginning of the course I was surrounded by fog rising from the redwoods. I felt no pain in my foot. I hit my first mile at 7:30 but I felt like I was trotting. Second mile: 7:06, still felt nothing. I knew I shouldn't be running a 7:06 at mile 2, but I couldn't help it.
Struggled mentally after hitting 16 miles, but pushed through.
Mile 17-19: These were my hardest miles mentally. While training, the max milage I had gotten to was 16 miles and my body felt better then than it did in this moment. My mantras were smudged cause of the rain and sweat but I kept looking to them to remind me to keep it up. I didn't feel horrible but these miles did feel longer than the rest for me.