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The course, in 3D

Big Sur International Marathon

Big Sur, CA · Sunday, April 25, 2027

Big Sur International Marathon official site →registration and course details
Race day
Sunday, April 25, 2027
Climb
3202 fttotal ascent
Race-week weather
51°F to 60°Ften-year normals, 10% of days wet

Fly the course

All 26.2 miles through a model of Big Sur built from OpenStreetMap: real building footprints, heights and roof shapes, the water, and the course line itself. Scrub it, switch cameras, or let it play.

Route statusa community trace of the current course; the official certified course is on the race's site. 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.

Course line a community trace of the current course; the official certified course is on the race's site. 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. Buildings, roads, parks and shorelines are OpenStreetMap, ODbL, so building coverage varies block to block. Public-domain USGS/USDA aerial imagery and USGS 3DEP terrain are served as static site assets; no paid map API runs in the browser. This is photographic terrain with modeled architecture, not photogrammetry. Bridge approaches, elevations and facade details remain approximate. The organizer's published route is the reference.

Accuracy check: drawn line is within 0.0% of the certified 26.2 miles; no part of the line passes through a building; 100% of it sits on a mapped road; closest it ever comes to a building wall is 5.5 m.

Known issue with this course file: Checked: Hurricane Point measures from mile 9.8 to 12.0 with about 513 feet of climb, which matches the real hill. An earlier note here worried that the climb's endpoints resolved to Bixby Creek Bridge; that was a reverse-geocode made while researching, not a fault in the course file, and Bixby is not in this course's landmark set at all.

The elevation profile

-40 10 60 110 160 210 260 310 360 410 460 510 560 610 Mile 0.0 to 0.2: -5.6% Mile 0.2 to 0.4: -0.3% Mile 0.4 to 0.6: -0.2% Mile 0.6 to 0.8: -2.9% Mile 0.8 to 1.0: +5.7% Mile 1.0 to 1.2: +1.1% Mile 1.2 to 1.4: -4.2% Mile 1.4 to 1.6: +2.9% Mile 1.6 to 1.8: -0.7% Mile 1.8 to 2.0: -1.9% Mile 2.0 to 2.2: +1.6% Mile 2.2 to 2.4: -5.9% Mile 2.4 to 2.6: +3.9% Mile 2.6 to 2.8: -0.2% Mile 2.8 to 3.0: -6.5% Mile 3.0 to 3.2: +3.2% Mile 3.2 to 3.4: -1.7% Mile 3.4 to 3.6: -1.0% Mile 3.6 to 3.8: +2.4% Mile 3.8 to 4.0: -2.6% Mile 4.0 to 4.2: +1.4% Mile 4.2 to 4.4: +0.8% Mile 4.4 to 4.6: +0.4% Mile 4.6 to 4.8: +1.6% Mile 4.8 to 5.0: -2.6% Mile 5.0 to 5.2: +1.5% Mile 5.2 to 5.4: +0.8% Mile 5.4 to 5.6: -1.7% Mile 5.6 to 5.8: +0.4% Mile 5.8 to 6.0: +0.9% Mile 6.0 to 6.2: -0.4% Mile 6.2 to 6.4: +1.3% Mile 6.4 to 6.6: +2.8% Mile 6.6 to 6.8: +0.8% Mile 6.8 to 7.0: -1.6% Mile 7.0 to 7.2: +2.6% Mile 7.2 to 7.4: +1.9% Mile 7.4 to 7.6: -0.9% Mile 7.6 to 7.8: -0.6% Mile 7.8 to 8.0: +1.0% Mile 8.0 to 8.2: -0.3% Mile 8.2 to 8.4: +1.4% Mile 8.4 to 8.6: +1.6% Mile 8.6 to 8.8: +0.7% Mile 8.8 to 9.0: -5.2% Mile 9.0 to 9.2: -4.6% Mile 9.2 to 9.4: -1.5% Mile 9.4 to 9.6: -3.9% Mile 9.6 to 9.8: -0.9% Mile 9.8 to 10.0: +8.9% Mile 10.0 to 10.2: +2.3% Mile 10.2 to 10.4: +0.4% Mile 10.4 to 10.6: +5.2% Mile 10.6 to 10.8: +3.0% Mile 10.8 to 11.0: +4.0% Mile 11.0 to 11.2: +0.8% Mile 11.2 to 11.4: +5.9% Mile 11.4 to 11.6: +4.9% Mile 11.6 to 11.8: +1.8% Mile 11.8 to 12.0: -0.5% Mile 12.0 to 12.2: +0.9% Mile 12.2 to 12.4: -4.4% Mile 12.4 to 12.6: -4.4% Mile 12.6 to 12.8: -3.9% Mile 12.8 to 13.0: -5.7% Mile 13.0 to 13.2: +5.0% Mile 13.2 to 13.4: -8.5% Mile 13.4 to 13.6: -3.1% Mile 13.6 to 13.8: -12.7% Mile 13.8 to 14.0: +1.5% Mile 14.0 to 14.2: +1.3% Mile 14.2 to 14.4: +1.3% Mile 14.4 to 14.6: +0.5% Mile 14.6 to 14.8: -5.6% Mile 14.8 to 15.0: -1.7% Mile 15.0 to 15.2: -2.7% Mile 15.2 to 15.4: +5.4% Mile 15.4 to 15.6: +6.9% Mile 15.6 to 15.8: -6.7% Mile 15.8 to 16.0: -0.6% Mile 16.0 to 16.2: -0.8% Mile 16.2 to 16.4: -0.4% Mile 16.4 to 16.6: +1.8% Mile 16.6 to 16.8: -0.5% Mile 16.8 to 17.0: -0.5% Mile 17.0 to 17.2: +6.5% Mile 17.2 to 17.4: +3.1% Mile 17.4 to 17.6: +0.3% Mile 17.6 to 17.8: -3.5% Mile 17.8 to 18.0: -0.9% Mile 18.0 to 18.2: +2.3% Mile 18.2 to 18.4: +0.4% Mile 18.4 to 18.6: -0.4% Mile 18.6 to 18.8: +1.2% Mile 18.8 to 19.0: -1.0% Mile 19.0 to 19.2: +2.6% Mile 19.2 to 19.4: -7.6% Mile 19.4 to 19.6: -1.8% Mile 19.6 to 19.8: +4.0% Mile 19.8 to 20.0: +0.9% Mile 20.0 to 20.2: -2.9% Mile 20.2 to 20.4: -3.1% Mile 20.4 to 20.6: +2.9% Mile 20.6 to 20.8: +0.3% Mile 20.8 to 21.0: -1.6% Mile 21.0 to 21.2: +2.0% Mile 21.2 to 21.4: -2.3% Mile 21.4 to 21.6: -0.4% Mile 21.6 to 21.8: +4.2% Mile 21.8 to 22.0: +1.5% Mile 22.0 to 22.2: +3.5% Mile 22.2 to 22.4: -1.6% Mile 22.4 to 22.6: -2.9% Mile 22.6 to 22.8: -2.4% Mile 22.8 to 23.0: +1.9% Mile 23.0 to 23.2: -1.5% Mile 23.2 to 23.4: +4.4% Mile 23.4 to 23.6: +0.3% Mile 23.6 to 23.8: -3.9% Mile 23.8 to 24.0: +1.6% Mile 24.0 to 24.2: -1.7% Mile 24.2 to 24.4: +0.3% Mile 24.4 to 24.6: -0.5% Mile 24.6 to 24.8: -3.9% Mile 24.8 to 25.0: -0.6% Mile 25.0 to 25.2: +3.5% Mile 25.2 to 25.4: +5.6% Mile 25.4 to 25.6: -6.4% Mile 25.6 to 25.8: -0.7% Mile 25.8 to 26.0: +0.5% Mile 26.0 to 26.2: +0.2% 5 10 15 20 25 mile +169 ft +132 ft +179 ft
steep up up flat down steep down

3202 feet of total climb across the 26.2, between 18 and 563 feet of elevation. Hurricane Point climbs from mile 9.77 to 10.19, 169 feet up, about two miles of steady climbing, roughly 5% average, fully exposed to the headwind the point is named for. Also named on this course: Hurricane Point. Click the profile to jump the flythrough to that mile.

Mile by mile

Every mile of the course on the same vertical scale, so they compare at a glance. Net is what the mile does to your elevation; steepest fifth is the sharpest continuous fifth of a mile inside it, the same unit the colour strip above uses.

MileShapeNetElevation Steepest fifthStreets
1-58 ft253 ft-5.6%Cabrillo Highway
2-61 ft196 ft-4.6%Cabrillo Highway
3-82 ft111 ft-6.5%Cabrillo Highway
4-3 ft109 ft+3.2%Cabrillo Highway
5-15 ft97 ft-2.7%Cabrillo Highway
6+17 ft119 ft+1.7%Cabrillo Highway
7+16 ft136 ft+2.5%Cabrillo Highway
8+37 ft170 ft+2.6%Cabrillo Highway
9+18 ft188 ft-5.2%Cabrillo Highway
10-29 ft152 ft+9.5%Cabrillo Highway
11+267 ft426 ft+8.1%Cabrillo Highway
12+133 ft552 ft+5.9%Cabrillo Highway
13-306 ft242 ft-8.9%Cabrillo Highway
14-70 ft155 ft-8.5%Cabrillo Highway, Bixby Creek Bridge, Rocky Creek Bridge
15-13 ft151 ft-5.6%Cabrillo Highway
16+7 ft153 ft-7.6%Cabrillo Highway
17-64 ft88 ft-1.5%Cabrillo Highway
18+31 ft115 ft+7.1%Cabrillo Highway
19+47 ft153 ft+2.0%Cabrillo Highway, Granite Canyon Bridge
20-1 ft148 ft-6.2%Cabrillo Highway
21-55 ft100 ft-4.4%Cabrillo Highway
22+61 ft159 ft+3.4%Cabrillo Highway
23-35 ft126 ft-4.5%Cabrillo Highway
24-21 ft103 ft+4.9%Cabrillo Highway
25-83 ft15 ft-4.3%Cabrillo Highway
26+9 ft24 ft-7.6%Cabrillo Highway

The course on a map

1 5 10 13 15 20 25 26

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Big Sur International Marathon planning

Open the complete race guide: course, hotels, expo, spectators and the city.

Course geometry a community trace of the current course; the official certified course is on the race's site. City geometry is OpenStreetMap, ODbL. Weather normals are ten years of Open-Meteo reanalysis around race day at the start line. Confirm dates and registration on the official site. Spot an error? Tell us and we'll fix it fast.