FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Running On The Ragged and Windy Edge of The Western World
at The Big Sur International Marathon
Boston 2 Big Sur competitor Ben Bruce wins the overall marathon title.
CARMEL, CA /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ - The Big Sur International Marathon, a
bucket list race for runners worldwide, once again converged along Highway
1 from Big Sur Station to Rio Road in Carmel for another unforgettable
event on Sunday, April 30th. Runners faced windy and overcast conditions as
they headed out of the redwoods, north over Hurricane Point, and across the
iconic Bixby Bridge before coming into the finish in Carmel.
Ben Bruce, 40, of Flagstaff, Arizona was first across the line in the
marathon distance with a time of 2:36:59. Bruce participated in Boston 2
Big Sur, having run the Boston Marathon on April 17th. Having represented
the United States at the World Championship level multiple times and as the
assistant coach of HOKA NAZ Elite, Bruce is no stranger to competition in
what turned out to be a very close race.
"After running last year I knew what to expect from the course, but today
the wind had a little surprise in mind," says Bruce. He felt strong most of
the way and stayed calm when the wind gusts hit hard. "I was very relieved
to see the finish and as an added bonus, my 18 weeks pregnant wife Steph
was holding the finish tape."
Rounding out the top three was Sean Casey of Pensacola, Florida and third
place was local and five-time winner, Adam Roach, 39. There were less than
two minutes separating the best men.
Returning champion, Anne Flower, 33, of Covington did it again. Flower
broke the tape at the finish line in 2:55:58, 10 minutes off last year's
time, a good indicator of the winds today's runners experienced. Sarah Bay,
43, of Niwot, CO came in second with a time of 03:05:14. Third place went
to Sarah Johnson, 28, of Portland, OR with a time of 03:08:30.
Josh Priester, the new Executive Director of the Big Sur Marathon
Foundation, was ecstatic witnessing his first-ever Big Sur Marathon
weekend. "On behalf of the Big Sur Marathon Foundation, we'd like to extend
a huge thanks to each and every runner who traveled to our special corner
of the coast to take on Highway 1 between Big Sur and Carmel. Additionally,
a huge thank you to the volunteers who gave their time and energy into
creating the experience for our runners and walkers at every distance, and
of course, to our terrific sponsors and community partners who help make
the BSIM weekend a best-in-class event."
In addition to the marathon distance, the Big Sur International Marathon
weekend featured a range of other race distances, including the relay,
21-Miler, 11-Miler, 12K, and 5K with nearly 10,000 participants in total.
Boston 2 Big Sur this year had 13 days between the two races with just over
300 participants competing in that category.
Registration for Big Sur Marathon 2024 opens in late summer. For more
information about the race, visit www.bigsurmarathon.org.
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 the Big Sur International Marathon in April
and the Monterey Bay Half Marathon in November. Each year, the organization
donates nearly $300,000 to local nonprofits via their grant program to
community volunteer groups.
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