Big Sur, United States · April
Pacing the Big Sur Marathon
Hilly, exposed and scenic
A point to point along the Pacific coast highway, taking in a long climb to Hurricane Point and the crossing at Bixby Bridge. Spectacular, exposed, and slow by design rather than by accident.
Official site: dates and entry
Dates, ballots and entry rules change every year and are not listed here. Check the official site.
How to pace it
The most important pacing decision at Big Sur is made weeks before the start: do not come here for a personal best. Setting one as the goal is the single most common way runners have a bad day on this course, and no amount of in-race discipline fixes a target that was wrong to begin with.
The climb to Hurricane Point is the defining feature, a long sustained ascent in the first half that has to be run on effort. Attacking it because it is still early is a mistake, because the second half of this course offers no recovery.
That is the part runners underestimate. There is no flat run-in and no easy stretch to make up time; the closing miles roll continuously, so whatever you spend on the climb is simply gone.
Wind off the ocean is common, frequently a headwind, and on an exposed coastal highway there is nothing to hide behind. Build it into the plan rather than treating it as bad luck.
Worth knowing
- Set your goal from this course. A flat course time is not a useful reference here.
- Coastal wind can be strong and is often against you, with no shelter available.
- The rolling second half gives nothing back. Pace the first half with that in mind.
What the common targets ask for
| Finish | Per km | Per mile |
|---|---|---|
| 3:00:00 | 4:16 | 6:52 |
| 3:30:00 | 4:59 | 8:01 |
| 4:00:00 | 5:41 | 9:09 |
| 4:30:00 | 6:24 | 10:18 |