RunRace USA › California › Big Sur
The complete, course-first guide
Big Sur
Sunday, April 25, 2027 · 6:45 a.m. PT (marathon)
Point-to-point on Highway 1: the marathon starts in Big Sur and finishes in Carmel. The official site does not name a start-line landmark or address on the pages checked. There is no public transit and no race-morning parking at the rural start, so runners must ride the official race buses: entry includes bus transportation to the start in Big Sur and from the finish back to the morning departure location on the Monterey Peninsula or in Big Sur. Because lodging clusters in Carmel-by-the-Sea and Monterey near the FINISH, plan on a pre-dawn bus boarding from the Peninsula (specific pickup points and times were not sourced).
The race in 60 seconds
First run in 1986, Big Sur has had time to become part of the city's running calendar. The marathon is a true point-to-point: its finish sits about 21.3 miles from the start as the crow flies. The modeled line carries about 3202 feet of total climb and ranges from roughly 14 to 578 feet above sea level. The elevation profile calls out Hurricane Point so the defining work is visible before race morning. Look for Big Sur River Inn, Hyatt Carmel Highlands (Highlands Inn), Carmelite Monastery of Our Lady and St. Therese in the flyover, with recognizable forms modeled from architectural records.
Fly the course
The whole course, built from the best available published route trace and an extruded model of Carmel. Scrub it, change the camera, or let it play. Nothing here is a video: it is drawing the city live.
Route statusCurrent community course trace cross-checked against the published route. Public RWGPS ROUTE 'Big Sur Marathon course' (created Oct 2023). Verified via /routes/44648246.json: 42,255.8 m = 26.26 mi point-to-point, start 36.24762,-121.78195 (Big Sur Station) to finish 36.53758,-121.91146 (Carmel/Rio Rd) — exactly matches 2026 race-day GPS records, so it is the current course.
The route line uses the best published course trace available. Public-domain USGS and USDA aerial photography plus USGS 3DEP elevation are baked into RunRace USA, so the flyover makes no paid map API or third-party runtime requests. Buildings, roads, parks and water use OpenStreetMap, ODbL. This is photographic terrain with modeled architecture, not photogrammetry. Bridge approaches, elevations and facade details are approximations; the organizer's published route remains the reference.
The elevation profile
This Marathon profile covers 26.2 miles, ranges from roughly 14 to 578 feet, and contains about 3202 feet of modeled climb.
- Hurricane Point, mile 9.81 to 11.98: 513 feet up, about two miles of steady climbing, roughly 5% average, fully exposed to the headwind the point is named for.
- , mile 21.61 to 22.3: 123 feet up, 3.4% average.
- , mile 15.16 to 15.6: 106 feet up, 4.5% average.
- , mile 7.76 to 8.73: 103 feet up, 2.0% average.
- , mile 16.78 to 17.54: 95 feet up, 2.4% average.
- , mile 13.85 to 14.56: 86 feet up, 2.3% average.
- , mile 24.9 to 25.38: 80 feet up, 3.1% average.
- , mile 19.57 to 20.02: 60 feet up, 2.5% average.
The route at a glance
Gold is the selected modeled course; route provenance is stated beside the flyover.
Race-week weather, measured
At the start line, April 21-29 averaged a low of 51°F and a high of 60°F across 2016-2025. The same window reached 72°F at its warmest and 45°F at its coldest. Measurable rain appeared on about 10% of sampled days. Treat the range, not just the average, as the packing list.
Pace it by effort
The profile and grade strip come from the same route currently loaded in the flyover. Use even pace as a baseline, then protect effort on the highlighted climbs and exposed sections.
| Finish | Even pace | Halfway |
|---|---|---|
| 3:00 | 6:52 /mi | 1:30 |
| 3:30 | 8:01 /mi | 1:45 |
| 4:00 | 9:09 /mi | 2:00 |
| 4:30 | 10:18 /mi | 2:15 |
| 5:00 | 11:27 /mi | 2:30 |
| Published course limit, 6:00 | 13:44 /mi | 3:00 |
Build your race weekend
The course
Live 3D flyover, synchronized elevation, route map, mile-by-mile shape and local landmarks.
Where to stay
15 mapped places to stay, compared by the endpoint that matters.
Expo and logistics
Packet pickup, the published weekend schedule, transit, parking and current entry tiers.
Spectators
Route-aware viewing anchors and a plan that respects the actual course geography.
The weekend
A city guide built around the places modeled beside the course.
Official race site
The organizer's current dates, entry details and late course notices.
Common questions
Do I just sign up, or is there a lottery?
There is no simple first-come signup for the marathon. Entry runs through a random drawing: registration for the drawing opened 9 a.m. PDT Wednesday, August 19, 2026 and closes at midnight September 2, 2026. Entering costs nothing; you are charged only if selected.
Are there other ways in besides the drawing?
Yes. Beyond the drawing, the race lists VIP entries (first 400), Official Charities, Marathon Tours & Travel, and the Boston 2 Big Sur program. Shorter distances (21-Miler, 11-Miler, 12K, 5K, Marathon Relay) open separately on September 10, 2026.
Does it sell out?
The race expects fields from roughly 550 for the 5K up to nearly 5,000 for the full marathon, and anticipates all distances filling quickly. Treat the drawing window and the September 10 opening for shorter distances as hard deadlines rather than assuming later availability.
Are there corrals, and are they enforced?
The marathon uses a pulsed start with three corrals, A through C, at Pfeiffer Big Sur Station, gun at 6:45 a.m. A 2024 start-area map surfaced in search instead labels corrals A through E; both readings exist. The site does not say whether assignments are enforced.
What is the time limit and what happens if I fall behind?
Six hours, a 13:45 per-mile pace. The course reopens to two-way traffic at 1 p.m. Miss mile 21.2 by 11:50 a.m. and you are transported to the finish. After 1 p.m. there is no medal, no official time, and no aid, medical, or communications support.
Can I transfer or defer my entry?
No. The race states it no longer offers a transfer program. The only cushion offered is paid Registration Protect, an optional add-on that can refund up to 100% of entry fees for covered reasons with proper documentation. The site does not describe any deferral to a later year.
What does the weather actually do?
The event safety page publishes a race-day forecast rather than climate norms: high 62F, low 50F, westerly wind 8 to 10 mph gusting 15, morning clouds with possible drizzle clearing later. Course notes warn separately about a sometimes-fierce headwind off the Pacific.
What catches first-timers out on the course?
Hurricane Point. The climb is the signature feature, paired with rolling hills and ocean headwind on a point-to-point route. Eleven aid stations sit every two to three miles, gels at 12.2 and 19.0, strawberries at 23.2. Organizers openly steer slower runners to the 21-Miler instead.
Register for the 2027 Big Sur →on Haku
Course geometry provenance is stated beside the player; elevation profiles always use the same route loaded there. City geometry is OpenStreetMap, ODbL. Aerial imagery is from USGS and USDA; other images carry their own source credits. Weather figures use Open-Meteo reanalysis for April 21-29 across 2016-2025 at the start line. Schedule, prices and expo hours were checked in 2026-08-27 and are the fields most likely to move: confirm them on www.bigsurmarathon.org before you book anything. Spot an error? Tell us and we'll fix it fast.