A Guide to the Big Sur International Marathon
A Guide to the Big Sur International Marathon
If you've ever scrolled past a photo of a marathon and thought "I would fully die for that view," it was probably Big Sur. Highway 1, the cliffs, the redwoods, a guy in a tux playing a piano on a bridge over the Pacific at mile 13 — this race is famous for a reason. It might be the most photogenic 26.2 miles in the country.
It's also, logistically, one of the trickiest marathons you'll ever sign up for. There's no parking at the start. There's barely a "town" at the start. You will take a school-style bus in the pitch dark to get there, and you will like it, because it's genuinely the only way in. This guide is here to walk you through all of it — the beautiful parts and the slightly chaotic parts — so you show up prepared instead of surprised. Let's go.
Big Sur International Marathon Information
Date: Sunday, April 25, 2027
Time: 6:45 AM PT (pulsed corral start, Corrals A-C released a few minutes apart)
Start: Big Sur Station (Pfeiffer Multi-Use Facility) on Highway 1 in Big Sur, CA — reachable only by official race bus
Finish: Highway 1 & Rio Road, at the Crossroads Shopping Center in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA
How To Get To The Starting Line
Here's the thing about Big Sur that catches first-timers off guard: you cannot drive yourself to the start. There is no parking, no drop-off, no rideshare lane. Highway 1 is closed to private vehicles early race morning, full stop. Every single marathoner, 21-Miler, 11-Miler, and relay runner gets to the start line the exact same way — on a free bus provided by the race.
Buses load starting at 3:30 AM from pickup points around Carmel and Monterey, and the last ones pull out by 4:30 AM, because it genuinely takes about an hour to wind down that narrow highway in the dark. That means an early wake-up call is non-negotiable — this isn't a race where you can roll out of bed forty minutes before gun time. Pack your bus bag the night before, set two alarms, and plan your morning like the bus, not the start line, is the thing you can't miss.
TIP: Book your room the day registration opens. Carmel, Monterey, and Pacific Grove all sell out for Big Sur weekend months in advance, and the closer you get to race day, the fewer (and pricier) options remain.
Where to Stay for the Big Sur International Marathon
Let's address the obvious: there's nowhere real to stay at the actual start line. Big Sur is remote by design — that's what makes the course so gorgeous — but it also means you're not booking a hotel a block from Big Sur Station. Since you're bused in regardless of where you sleep, the smarter move is basing yourself in Carmel, Monterey, or Pacific Grove and catching your bus from there. Here's how those three options stack up.
Carmel-by-the-Sea
Closest to the finish line and the finish festival, walkable village vibe, boutique prices to match.
$$$ La Playa Hotel — About 0.5 miles from the finish line, walkable
$$$ L'Auberge Carmel — About 0.8 miles from the finish, right in the village
$$ Carmel River Inn — About 1 mile from the finish
Monterey
The biggest hotel inventory in the area, several official host hotels, and easy access to bus pickup points.
$$ Portola Hotel & Spa — ~8 miles from bus pickup, official race host hotel
$$ Monterey Marriott — ~8 miles from bus pickup, official race host hotel
$$$ Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel and Spa — ~7 miles from bus pickup
Pacific Grove
Quieter, a little more budget-friendly, still an easy shuttle away from race morning.
$ Deer Haven Inn — ~9 miles from bus pickup, budget-friendly
$$ Centrella Hotel — ~10 miles from bus pickup, Victorian inn
$$$ Seven Gables Inn — ~10 miles from bus pickup, oceanfront
Wherever you land, book it around proximity to a bus pickup point, not proximity to the actual start line — that's the detail that trips people up every year. And if you're traveling with a crew, Carmel gives them the easiest race morning: they can walk to the finish festival instead of driving anywhere near the closures.
Course Notes & What to Expect
Miles 1-9: Redwoods and Quiet
The race opens through Big Sur's redwoods and coastal ranchland — gorgeous, rolling, and noticeably quiet. There aren't towns out here, so crowd support is thin to nonexistent for the first stretch. Soak in the scenery and settle into your pace; this is not the section to get emotional about a lack of cheering.
Miles 10-12: Hurricane Point
This is the climb everyone talks about — a two-mile, 500-plus foot ascent up to about 560 feet of elevation. It's steady, it's exposed to the wind (hence the name), and it's where a Taiko drum line traditionally shows up to help drag you up the hill. Respect this climb in your pacing. Going out too hot in the first nine miles and then meeting Hurricane Point is a rough combo.
Mile 13: The Bixby Bridge Piano
You crest Hurricane Point, and then you get the payoff: the descent onto Bixby Creek Bridge, right around the halfway mark, with a grand piano and a tuxedoed pianist playing as you cross. It's become one of the most iconic moments in American marathoning, and yes, it's exactly as good as the photos. Mile 13 is also one of the best downhill miles on the course — let it fly a little and enjoy it.
Miles 14-19: Rolling Coastal Miles
You'll cross Rocky Creek Bridge — Bixby's smaller sibling — right before mile 14, then keep rolling along the cliffside with the Pacific doing its thing to your right. This stretch is stunning and exposed, meaning coastal wind can be a real factor regardless of how the forecast looks from your hotel room.
Mile 20: The Wall
Fittingly named — there's a literal towering dirt cliff right around mile 20, at exactly the spot where marathons traditionally get hard. Your legs will have opinions by now. This is where your training, not your adrenaline, carries you.
Miles 21-25: Carmel Highlands
Don't let the flatter overall profile fool you — the Highlands are a series of short, steep hills with a noticeable road camber that beats up tired quads and cranky ankles. Big Sur veterans will tell you this section, not Hurricane Point, is where the race actually gets you.
The Finish: Rio Road, Carmel
You'll finish at Highway 1 and Rio Road, right at the Crossroads Shopping Center, with a full finish festival waiting — food, live music, and your people, assuming they found parking (see: road closures below). Because Highway 1 is closed for miles of this course, spectator access is genuinely limited for most of the race. The finish area is where the crowd energy really shows up, so tell your crew to save their voices for right here.
Tips for Running the Big Sur International Marathon
Set two alarms for bus loading, not for the start gun
Buses start loading at 3:30 AM and the last ones roll out by 4:30 AM. Miss your bus and there's no backup plan — no cars are allowed on the course. Treat the bus departure time as your real deadline for the morning.
Dress in layers you're okay saying goodbye to
Big Sur mornings are foggy and cool — often in the 40s at the start — and warm up fast once the sun burns through. Wear a throwaway layer (old sweatshirt, gloves, gas station poncho) you can shed and leave behind near the corrals. You'll have a long wait at Big Sur Station before the gun goes off, so plan for standing around in the cold.
Skip the headphones for this one (or run with bone conducting head phones)
The race asks runners not to use headphones or earbuds — Highway 1 is a narrow, winding road shared with course marshals on bikes and support vehicles, and they need you to be able to hear instructions. Good news: between the ocean, the redwoods, and a literal piano on a bridge, you won't miss the music.
Train on hills, not just mileage
Hurricane Point and the Carmel Highlands are the two moments that make or break a Big Sur race. If your Running Plan has been mostly flat, start weaving in hill repeats and some downhill running too — the descents off Hurricane Point and Bixby Bridge hammer your quads just as much as the climbs do.
Know your fueling plan before you're out there
Aid stations are spaced further apart than what you're used to at a big-city marathon — about eleven stations across the full 26.2 miles. Consider carrying a handheld or practicing your gel timing in training so you're not caught off guard between stops.
Don't expect a big-city crowd
Big Sur is remote, and Highway 1 closures mean spectator access is limited for most of the course. The energy here is quieter and more "nature" than "noise" — which is kind of the whole point. Make peace with running a good chunk of this one for yourself.
Tell your crew exactly where to stand
Because of the road closures, your people can't just post up anywhere along the route. Bixby Bridge and the Carmel Highlands are popular (if crowded) viewing spots, and the finish festival is the easy one. Cell service gets spotty out in Big Sur, so agree on meeting spots in advance rather than counting on a text.
Respect the taper on Hurricane Point
It's tempting to bank time in the first nine flatter miles, but going out hot only makes that two-mile climb at mile 10 hurt more. Even effort here pays off later at the Wall and through the Highlands.
Figure out your post-race ride home in advance
Since there's no personal car waiting for you at the start (there physically can't be), make sure you know how you're getting from the finish festival back to your hotel — whether that's the race's shuttle system or your own crew meeting you at Rio Road.
Don't count on live tracking for your family
Cell service drops in and out through Big Sur. Give your people a printed pace band or rough arrival window instead of promising them a tracking app that works the whole way. Less stress for everyone.
Gear We Love for Big Sur International Marathon Weekend
Big Sur rewards a little extra prep — it's a point-to-point coastal race with real hills, real wind, and aid stations that are further apart than you're used to. Here's what we'd toss in the bag.
[Note to self: swap these for your actual affiliate links once you've picked final products — these are here as placeholders + photo sources.]
Nathan SpeedShot Insulated Handheld — (With aid stations spread out along the course, having your own water or fuel on hand between stops is a smart call.)
Precision Fuel & Hydration PF 30 Gels — (This is the gel brand on course at Big Sur — worth training with it a few times so race morning isn't the first time your stomach meets it.)
CEP Compression Calf Sleeves — (Extra support for the downhill pounding off Hurricane Point and Bixby Bridge.)
Goodr Running Sunglasses — (For the glare off the Pacific once that morning fog burns away.
Mini Megababe Anti-Chafe Balm — (A long point-to-point race in the wind is not the day to skip this.)
Ready to Toe the Line at Big Sur?
This course does not care how fast you are — it cares whether you trained for hills, wind, and a genuinely early wake-up call. That's exactly what we build for. Grab a hill-ready Running Plan built around your race date, or go all in with a Training Experience and get the structure, the milestones, and a whole crew of Athletes training right alongside you. And if you want the daily support, the community feeds, and the insider energy while you prep, The Team is $19.99/month, cancel anytime — no pressure, just a gang that's got your back all the way to that piano on the bridge.
Ready to start training? Download the Badass Lady Gang Training App and come traing with us! We’re here to help you get the most out of training and get to the finish line with a smile on your face. CLICK HERE to download the app.
— Coach Kelly
