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.

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!

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!

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!

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.

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.

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...

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.

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.

Big Sur is truly a unique and special marathon one will be difficult to duplicate anywhere else. The scenery of the Pacific Ocean is bar none and the course will challenge your body and spirit. The cold foggy weather did wonders from preventing dehydration, and the hills are neverending. Getting through Hurricane Point is just the start, you're climbing upgrades pretty much to the finish line. The road curve at the highlands is jagged and the 90-100 foot slope on mile 25 is just an unforgiving placement so late in the race.

Sounds tough, right? Well, it is, but I'm here to offer some good news. I actually ran my PR on this course of 3:06 and qualified for the Boston marathon for the 1st time. I'm not sure how, but the hills just seemed to work in my favor, as every time I crested a hill and wanted to pass out there was always an accompanying decline, and for me I was able to recover this way. Plus I will concede that I'd been training 90 miles a week so I think my leg muscles were strong and prepared for the hill poundings. It also seemed to build momentum in me rather than drain me out, as I got used to the 'up-down' flow and charged the hills more and more aggressively as the race progressed knowing I would get a downhill break each time.

My only negative to this race is the fact that they throw a 21 miler, relay race, walkers, 5K, etc onto the course. In my minority opinion, it spoils the uniqueness and exclusivity of running a marathon. I feel that one of my rewards of running and training as hard as I do is having an isolated feeling being in the front of the pack, and more importantly having an isolated and unspoiled finish. I placed 53rd overall here of 3,092 runners but you never would have known it, nor did any of the walkers. I had to yell 'heads up' about 100 times (no exaggeration) so walkers and slower relayers could at least move a step to the left so I didn't run right into them. And unfortunately, I did bump into a few people. I just don't think it's fair for the faster runners to have to pay the highest consequences of crowd interference, the last thing I wanted to worry about on mile 23 was being forced off the road or hitting walkers. Now, I did find most of the walkers friendly and supportive, but it was quite an unnecessary nuisance to contend with. I've said my peace.

All in all, a great marathon race, and in my eyes would be near perfection if it were just a marathon. This is the kind of spiritual course where you don't need spectators in my opinion, let the crashing waves and blue ocean guide your motivation.

Lastly, people have discussed any other marathons that can come close to comparing. I believe St George absolutely does. It is the same kind of race, point to point with an early shuttle start, bonfires before the start, unique finisher medal, impeccable organization, and unforgettable scenery of the desert and red rock formations. You even run before the sun rises. The difference between the two is merely preference in geography. I'm a fan of natural scenery, so I appreciate the beauty of the coastline, mountains, or desert terrain all equally, realizing they're different but all unique. St. George also keeps their race loyal and exclusive to the marathon, something I heavily support.