Big Sur Trail Marathon - Race Reviews

I had a blast running this race with my dad this weekend. Great people, beautiful day and lots of hills!

The course is beautiful, hot, and challenging. Although there were no spectators on the course, fellow runners added encouragement and the volunteers that waited hours to give us water also provided much needed support. I want to give a giant "thank you" to these very special volunteers. You made the race!!!

The scenery is spectacular if you can spare the strength to check out the view. It's all up/down with only a few miles of flat running. The inclines aren't too aggressive, but they're very long. Hill training is highly recommended! Envriro Sports put together a great race. The support crews were fantastic. I'll definitely hit this one again in 2010!

I read about this course and chose it because of its difficulty. I trained only on trails and mostly on hills. I was amazed how much uphill running there was on this course, and even more how steep some of it was. Beautiful though. It was my first marathon. It couldn't have been more of an accomplishment - not only to finish, but to kill my goal and come in second overall and first in my age group. It was an amazing experience.

It is a race that everyone should attempt.The scenery is exquisite, but train extensively on hills, for these hills are up going for 2-3 miles before going down. You have to hydrate and eat aggressively because it is a tough run on your body.

Just finished the marathon and absolutely loved this race! It's quite tough - really tough actually, but if you love hills/mountains and stunning vistas, you HAVE TO do this race. Weather was great - rain, sunshine, cloud. Those hills - wow! My quads were like Jello when I finished.

Gorgeous scenery of lush redwood forests and rural farmland. Hills were long and relentless. Count on adding at least 2 minutes per mile to your PR. Better yet: don't worry about your time, enjoy the stunning views.

There are 5700 ft. of elevation gain and 5700 ft. of elevation loss. My quads felt like hamburger meat the last 2.5 miles down. The first 2.5 are up and what a view once you get there... you wind your way through redwood groves and are either going up or down the whole way. The other runners were great; the race director was fantastic. The one and only recommendation for improvement I could make would be to have water right at the finish line for the marathon finishers. This is a first-class race put on by a first-class group.

The people who put this race on are great. I ran the half last year and fell in love with the place. I had to come back this year to see if I could take the hills for a full marathon - and glad I did. Perfect weather, friendly people at well stocked aid stations and spectacular views helped me finish with a little left in the tank.

Beautiful course, with redwoods and ascents; inner strength needed. Limited support is wonderful.... I have seen races 10 times the size with half the spirit and support. We counted seven big climbs... all well worth it. Brought my own water, which was a good idea.

Train on plenty of hills before this race. There is only one small section that is even close to being flat. First two miles are uphill. Temperature changes because parts of the course are totally exposed to the wind/sun and other areas are covered by forest. Much more challenging than the Big Sur International Marathon course.

This was the most relaxed and quiet marathon, yet. I loved every pace. Not to be confused with the Big Sur International - this is a much smaller event. HINTS: CAMP! Stay close the start and you don't have to scramble for parking... and it's the coolest way to stay in Big Sur. (Andrew Molera is the starting line and is also a camp ground - it's also only a few bucks.) 1. Bring your own H2O and nutrition. You are alone on the trail. 2. Depend on getting dirty - it's muddy and I had filthy fingernails from some of the climbs. 3. Bring a small digital camera - the view from the top is the best it gets... and let youself stop to really look. Everyone does. You witness a view that only a runner can (or courageous mountain biker), as the trails are single track to the top. It's bitchin'. 4. Have dinner at the lodge at the state camp ground a couple miles down the road. It is REALLY good! The salmon is divine, and a perfect post-race meal. They also make THE BEST home-made granola and yogurt. Or, maybe I was just really hungry after the HARDEST RACE I'VE EVER RUN! PS - My dog did the first loop in 1:45! His PR. (Then he went off to sleep and wait for me. Good boy.)

This was my first marathon, and I loved it! The course was absolutely beautiful! Because it was an out-and-back course, I knew what to anticipate during the second half of the run, so I was mentally prepared for whatever showed up. The spectators are sparse, but what do you expect from trail? The water stations were staffed w/ the best volunteers ever--everyone (volunteers and runners) was so nice. Be prepared for hills, but the uphill is worth it. You'll see the most incredible views! And remember--what goes up must go down--all those uphills will be downhills when you return and vice versa. I'll definitely return next year!

No first timers on this one. Excellent planning and spectacular views, but sparse crowd support due to the isolation. No locals. All serious and very quiet runners. Although it was beautiful, it was not fun. Miles 8-12 are a 2000 ft hit with no break.