← All eventsBig Sur International Marathon
The largest rural marathon in the world and one of the most scenic — point-to-point on closed Highway 1 from Big Sur to Carmel. Defined by Hurricane Point ('the hardest climb in American marathon running'), an exposed Pacific headwind, the Bixby Bridge descent, and a surprise mile-22 climb. 6hr cutoff, mandatory shuttle. Next 25 Apr 2027.
One of the most scenic marathons on earth, and one of the hardest. Point to point down a closed lane of Highway 1, Big Sur to Carmel, the Pacific on one side and the Santa Lucia mountains on the other.
The route reads net downhill on paper, but that hides a grinding climb over miles 10 to 12: Hurricane Point, often called the hardest climb in American marathon running.
Then a sharp descent to Bixby Bridge that shreds unprepared quads, an exposed coastal headwind, and a surprise climb at mile 22. Leave your PB pacing at home. This is a day for patience and strength.
Who finishes, and how
Patterns like these, drawn straight from 2025 race data, are baked into how Beina coaches you for this event.
Is Big Sur International Marathon for you?
- Hill-durable runners who would rather race a hard course than a clock. Big Sur adds serious time over a flat marathon, so an ego-free goal is the smart one.
- Runners who like to climb. Hurricane Point and the rolling coast reward legs built on hills, not on flat tempo alone.
- Patient racers. The flat first 10 miles have to feel easy, and the runners who hold back are the ones still moving at mile 22.
- Bucket-list marathoners chasing the view. It is the largest rural marathon in the world, a closed lane of Highway 1 above the Pacific.
Training plan for Big Sur International Marathon
A training plan for Big Sur International Marathon isn't a generic base build. Beina reads the event's exact demands, looks at your specific profile and the time you actually have, and maps a highly adapted plan to the start line.
- Hurricane Point, a sustained climb over miles 10 to 12, straight into whatever the Pacific wind is doing.
- A sharp descent off Bixby Bridge at mile 13 that wrecks your quads if you hammer it.
- Rolling, exposed coastal miles that never let you settle, plus a surprise climb at mile 22.
- A 6 hour cutoff with enforced intermediate checkpoints, so your pacing has to be honest from the gun.
- Hilly marathon-pace long runs, 28 to 35km with 12 to 18km at goal effort over a sustained climb.
- A single 20 to 30 minute continuous climb to rehearse the exact grind of Hurricane Point.
- Downhill durability sessions, repeated controlled descents to toughen the quads for Bixby.
- Threshold intervals and midweek medium-long runs to build the aerobic engine underneath it all.
- Built from your current fitness and the time you actually have
- Adapts every week as Beina learns how you respond
- Syncs your sessions straight to Garmin and Wahoo
- One clear next session, never a wall of spreadsheet
