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☰
Big Sur International Marathon Runner Comments
Back to Big Sur International Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.9 
Organization 4.8 
Spectators 3.7
Number of comments: 212 [displaying comments 101 to 111]
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S. S. from Ballston Lake, NY
(10/18/2007)
"Perfect marathon experience" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Big Sur International Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I have done 5 marathons and this one was my favorite. Beautiful scenery and course, great start/finish line and perfect organization. The notorious hills are not as insuperable as advertised, and each one is followed by the reward of a downhill. The walkers, 5k'ers and half-ers were all very encouraging, which made up for them being in the way of a cranky marathon-er at mile 21+ they made up the bulk of the crowd which was nonexistent until the last mile. However, to survive Hurricane Point and come upon a guy playing a baby grand on the side of the highway, your own audacity trumped by the exuberance of belly-dancers, high school and middle schools bands, all on a marathon course that features the most beautiful scenery of any course it is in incomparable experience. As well, the organization of this race from expo to finish was the best I have experienced of any marathon. An astonishingly pleasant race. 1 more note about the hills: I PR'ed by 11 min, so they can't be that awful; stairs will be awful the next day though. | |
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T. Z. from Texas
(10/13/2007)
"Absolutely gorgeous!" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 Big Sur International Marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 If you had to choose but one marathon to run the rest of your life, this would be the one. Breathtaking scenery and great organization! This is definitely a challenging course, and if you're serious about a fast time here, you should be sure to train appropriately. There are lots of lengthy inclines that are followed by lengthy declines, and they go on until about mile 25. You could leave a bottle at the expo for the special fluids station at mile 16, and this was especially handy for my hypoglycemic friend. The bus loading lines were intimidating at the loading areas, but the lines moved very quickly. For the bus return to Monterey after the race, there were no lines at all, and we got right back when we were ready to go. The fresh strawberries were fabulous, and there was plenty of food and water at the finish. There was lots of entertainment on the course, including the harp early in the race, dancers, and a pianist at Bixby Bridge. This was my second running of Big Sur, and both times there was a marine layer that kept things cool (and mostly obscured the view) until about the halfway point. If you bring a camera, which we did, save some pictures for the last half - the scenery is unbelievable. | |
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L. G. from Ventura, CA
(6/4/2007)
"Beautiful!" (about: 2007)
2 previous marathons
| 1 Big Sur International Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon - I didn't quite realize what I was getting into when I signed up and I didn't train enough for it, but if you asked me I'd totally do it again! It was so beautiful and everything about the course was fabulous. The race support was great - they even let me finish late (6:12) after they took down the finish line. I got a medal and everything! Everyone says this is hard, but I think I prefer it to 26.2 miles of flat! We stayed at a campground in Big Sur because that's the cheapest way to go and it turned out to be really nice - great campground and later wake up! I originally thought the start area was too crowded, but it made sense to me when I realized that they had to put us all somewhere while they closed the road. The race itself never seemed crowded to me, but maybe that's because I'm slow? Everyone I met was really nice and the entertainment along the course added to its beauty - I loved the harp! On the downside, the finish are was packing up when I got there - when I went to the food tent the kids who were volunteering were having a food fight. I did get a massage because a friend got a ticket for me (yay!). I'd totally do it again and recommend it to anyone thinking about it! | |
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s. j. from Overland Park, Kansas
(5/20/2007)
"Must-Do Race for your Lifetime" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Big Sur International Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I absolutely agree that with the Runner's World comments that if "you could only do one race in your lifetime, it would be Big Sur." I did the 21-miler as a run/walk and it was a breathtaking as well as a spiritual experience... probably the closest thing to running in heaven I have ever experienced. It was absolutely the most organized and beautiful race I have ever done (the Lake Tahoe and San Francisco Nike races would probably come in second and third place). Everything was perfect including the race transportation - although early, but who sleeps well anyway the night before a race? Yes, Hurricane Point was challenging but doable. For me the rolling hills and cant of the road during the last 6 miles of the course were what separated this race and other races in difficulty. I would suggest preparing for the race by doing some of your long runs on rolling hills and uneven pavement. Course support was superb and I felt that the course monitors were great in keeping the walkers out of the path of the fast runners. This race also had the best and most supportive race volunteers that I have ever seen (also some of the best cheerleaders on the course). I will be back again to do the full marathon! | |
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Debbie Johnson from Chicago, Illinois
(5/16/2007)
"5 1/2 hours and I still finished with a smile" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Big Sur International Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Yes, if you train, you can run a marathon! While training during a Chicago winter was not ideal (flat, snowy and cold), it did prepare my mind to keep going even when you don't want to. I only had a couple of goals: 1) to finish within 6 hours; and 2) to have fun. Done! When Hurricane Point came, my strategy to power walk up proved to be quite successful as I kept in line with the folks running, without raising my cardio too high. The only painful section was about mile 21/22 where the cant in the road is quite steep and my ankle with hardware (plate and 9 screws) has a hard time bending in that form, but after about a mile the cant evened out, and all that was left was a few more rolling hills. The views were spectacular, residents along the way were very friendly, volunteers were energetic, and it was the most organized race I've paricipated in (yes, more organized than the Chicago Marathon). I hope to be a repeat runner one day! | |
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Tassa Saldi from Boulder, CO
(5/16/2007)
"Awesome" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Big Sur International Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 This was the race I decided I wanted to run when I first got it into my head to run a marathon. Five marathons later I finally got my chance. I will just say: this race blew me away. There was plenty of everything to make the morning go smoothly (potties, food, information), but the true magic of this race is the view. It was, without a doubt, the most beautiful race I have ever run... truly a transcendental experience. Running in places like these is the true reason I love running races, and this one surpassed all my expectations. If you get a chance to run Big Sur, don't pass it up. | |
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David McCorkell from Boston, MA
(5/14/2007)
"One of the best in the world" (about: 2007)
6-10 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Everyting about this is perfect - the expo, the dinner and the race itself. Perfectly located stops with a lot of oranges and bananas and Gu towards the end of the race. Challenging but well worth it. The best run race I have ever been a part of - will recommend it to everyone. | |
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D. G. from KC, Kansas
(5/12/2007)
"Awesome Scenery" (about: 2007)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Big Sur International Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 Big Sur was an awesome marathon for the scenery. The process of getting everyone transported out went very well. The post-race food was top-notch. However there were some annoyances... I felt the expo was very lacking in samples/freebies... and I carried a big empty bag around with just my number, chip and a bus map. They ran out of shirts to give to participants. How does that happen when you know the number of people racing and the shirt sizes months in advance?The multitudes of walkers walking in the running lanes was rather annoying at times (sometimes walking four abreast)... and last but not least... most races have meet-up areas for families/friends organized by first letter of last name. Not so in this case. My buddy and I were separated during the race and I had to search the crowd for 45 minutes to find him, which is the last thing I want to do after running 26.2. The people at the aid stations during the race were friendly and helpful, as were the residents along the way. Kudos to the group of ladies handing out the fresh, hand-cut strawberries! Overall, good race... | |
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S. H. from San Francisco, CA
(5/12/2007)
"Loved it!" (about: 2007)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Big Sur International Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was marathon #6 for me and I loved it. Despite the early morning bus to the start, the logistics worked out just great and I didn't end up waiting too long once I got to the start. The weather was perfect for running but my only regret was that the heavy fog obscured the sweeping coastal views. The course was hilly but not nearly as tough as the hype would suggest, maybe because I am a San Francisco runner. I ran a PR by a little over a minute but unfortunately also missed breaking the four-hour mark by less than a minute. I thought it was a perfect size and the organization was great. I really did not notice the lack of spectators either. | |
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Mary Cole from Lake Bluff, IL
(5/11/2007)
"Must-do Marathon" (about: 2007)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Big Sur International Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 Based on the comments I read from former participants, I was convinced that I probably hadn't done enough hill training, but I was pleasantly surprised. The course was tough, but not as tough as I'd expected. I was troubled by a nagging pain in my hip, which I'd never experienced before. I realized I wasn't alone with this, and in talking to other runners found that it was due to the slant of the road. Even though I was forced to stop and stretch every half-mile after 13, my finish time didn't disappoint. The weather was perfect: about 65 with a nice cloud cover, light wind. My suggestion: drive the course the day before. We did, and the weather was clear and sunny and I took my photos then. Another piece of advice: leave your headphones at home. The course is without a doubt the most beautiful I have ever run, and it is so nice to share the experience with other runners. That's hard to do when half of them are wearing headphones. |
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