Big Sur to Carmel, California, United States · 42.195 km road marathon
Big Sur International Marathon 2027
Sunday 25 April 2027
A point-to-point marathon north along Highway 1 from Big Sur to Carmel, over the Hurricane Point climb to Bixby Bridge at halfway, with a strict six-hour limit.
Big Sur International Marathon at a glance
- Start
- 06:45 in three corrals about five minutes apart (2026 spacing), Big Sur Station
- Finish
- Highway 1 at Rio Road, Carmel
- Course
- Point to point on Highway 1, hilly; the organizer gives 665 m of climb
- Time limit
- Six hours of chip time; the 2026 guide counts from the last starter. The course closes at 13:00
- Cut-offs
- Mile 15.2 (km 24.5) by 10:30 and mile 21.2 (km 34.1) by 11:50
- Entry
- Drawing closed; guaranteed paths only, and Boston 2 Big Sur opens 14 October 2026
- Bib pickup
- Monterey Conference Center expo, 23 and 24 April, in person with photo ID; no race-day pickup
- Getting to the start
- Mandatory free buses from the Monterey Peninsula, loading from 03:30; no drop-off
- Aid stations
- Eleven stations from mile 2.5 to 24.5, gels at miles 12.2 and 19.0
Checked against the organizer's pages on 25 September 2026. Facts for the next edition can still change; the organizer's page is the final word.
Big Sur International Marathon course map and elevation
Point to point on Highway 1, hilly; the organizer gives 665 m of climb. Map, elevation profile and 3D flyover.
› running direction two lines: out and back on the same road race kilometresCourse: TrailSplits reconstruction; map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Route drawn by TrailSplits from published race information; approximate. For illustration, not navigation.
What to expect on the course
- A mostly downhill first four miles under the redwoods through Big Sur village
- Hurricane Point: about 150 m of climb from the Little Sur River Bridge (km 15.8) to the high point at km 19.3
- Bixby Bridge at halfway, km 21.1, with a pianist playing
- Short steep hills on a cambered road through the Carmel Highlands from about km 35
- A 27 m rise in the last mile, then the Carmel River Bridge and the finish
The map shows the 2024 course on Highway 1 from Big Sur Station to Rio Road, the same route as the organizer's 2026 map; the 2027 map is not yet published.
Read the full course description
A point-to-point road course north along Highway 1 from Big Sur Station to Carmel; the organizer's 2026 map shows the same line. The first four miles run mostly downhill under redwoods through Big Sur village, then the road leaves the forest near Andrew Molera State Park at about km 8. A long rise from mile 7 turns steep after mile 8 near Point Sur, then drops to the Little Sur River Bridge at mile 9.8 (km 15.8). Hurricane Point follows: a two-mile climb of over 500 ft, about 150 m, to the high point of 560 ft (171 m) at mile 12 (km 19.3), often into a headwind. The descent reaches Bixby Bridge at halfway (km 21.1), where a pianist plays. From Malpaso Creek near mile 22 (about km 35) the Carmel Highlands bring short steep hills on a cambered road past Point Lobos. A 90 ft (27 m) rise comes in the last mile before the Carmel River Bridge and the finish. The organizer gives 2,182 ft (about 665 m) of climb. Eleven aid stations run from mile 2.5 to 24.5, with gels at miles 12.2 and 19.0 and strawberries at mile 23.2; pace groups ran from 3:10 to 5:50 in 2026. Runners keep to one lane beside live traffic.
Source, licence and file
TrailSplits reconstruction of the published route. Course: TrailSplits reconstruction; map data © OpenStreetMap contributors · ODbL · original source · Download reference GPX (42.4 km in the file). Approximate ground heights from USGS 3D Elevation Program lidar, added by TrailSplits at roughly 100 m intervals. Bridges and small road gradients are not surveyed road elevations.Heights from the U.S. Geological Survey 3D Elevation Program (public domain).
Three decisions to make before race day
Enter the marathon only if six hours is safe on this course
Enter only if six hours is comfortable: the cut-offs are mile 15.2 (km 24.5) by 10:30 and mile 21.2 (km 34.1) by 11:50, and the organizer reckons the course runs 10 to 20 minutes slower than a flat one.
More detail
The six hours are enforced for the road permit: miss mile 15.2 (km 24.5) by 10:30 or mile 21.2 (km 34.1) by 11:50 and you ride the bus. The organizer reckons hills, headwind and photo stops make the course 10 to 20 minutes slower than a flat one, and points slower runners to the 21-Miler, which allows 6 h 30.
Hold back until Hurricane Point is behind you
Run the first half conservatively: Hurricane Point climbs about 150 m to km 19.3, and the Carmel Highlands add steep, cambered hills from about km 35.
More detail
The longest hill, over 150 m from the Little Sur River Bridge at km 15.8 to the high point at km 19.3, comes before halfway and often into the wind. The descent to Bixby Bridge follows, and the Carmel Highlands from about km 35 add short steep hills on a cambered road, so save your legs for the last 7 km.
Plan the Monterey weekend around the expo and a 03:30 bus
Collect your bib in person at the Monterey expo on 23 or 24 April and plan for a bus that loads from 03:30; no car can reach the start.
More detail
Bibs are only issued in person with photo ID at the Monterey expo on Friday 23 or Saturday 24 April. Private cars cannot reach the start, so every marathoner rides a free bus: loading starts at 03:30, the last leave by 04:30, and you choose your pickup point in March 2027. Expect one to two hours at a chilly start.
Your race-day sheet
Even elapsed splits for 42.195 km. All clocks are local to Big Sur to Carmel.
ESTIMATED FINISH
10:45:00
MOVING PACE BUDGET
5:34/ km
ELAPSED PACE
5:41/ km
120 min below the modelled finish limit
| Distance | Elapsed | Local clock |
|---|---|---|
| 5 km | 00:28:26 | 07:13:26 |
| 10 km | 00:56:53 | 07:41:53 |
| 15 km | 01:25:19 | 08:10:19 |
| 20 km | 01:53:45 | 08:38:45 |
| Halfway | 02:00:00 | 08:45:00 |
| 25 km | 02:22:12 | 09:07:12 |
| 30 km | 02:50:38 | 09:35:38 |
| 35 km | 03:19:05 | 10:04:05 |
| 40 km | 03:47:31 | 10:32:31 |
| Finish | 04:00:00 | 10:45:00 |
Training plan for Big Sur International Marathon 2027
A free week-by-week plan dated to this race. It starts from a stated default (weekly distance, longest recent run, days a week) that you can change; nothing is read from your watch or training history. It does not use the finish-time target above.
View my training planNo account required. Keep a fixed copy, download the calendar or get a subscription URL for Google or Apple Calendar.
Entry, bib pickup and rules
- Entry:
- Drawing closed; guaranteed paths only, and Boston 2 Big Sur opens 14 October 2026
- Bib pickup:
- Monterey Conference Center expo, 23 and 24 April, in person with photo ID; no race-day pickup
Read the full entry and pickup rules
The 2027 random drawing ran from 19 August to 2 September 2026 and its winners, announced on 8 September, paid $325, so the drawing is closed. Marathon places now come only through first-come guaranteed paths opened on 19 August: Big Sur VIP (400 places), charity partners, the Race Benefactor Program and Marathon Tours packages. The Boston 2 Big Sur Challenge, for 2027 Boston Marathon entrants, opens at 08:00 Pacific on 14 October 2026. Runners must be 16 on race day. There are no refunds, transfers or deferrals, only optional registration protection. Bibs are collected in person with photo ID at the Monterey Conference Center expo on Friday 23 April (12:00 to 18:00) or Saturday 24 April (09:30 to 18:00); nobody may collect for you and no race-day pickup is listed.
Sources
Checked 25 September 2026; next review due 2026-11-03. Event facts come from the organizer; the pacing sheet, decisions and plan are TrailSplits' own. Independently prepared by TrailSplits, not endorsed by the organizer.
- Marathon page
- Future race dates
- Register page and registration FAQ
- Entry options
- Course information and 2026 course map
- Course tour
- 2026 marathon participant guide
- Expo and packet pickup
- Race day transportation
What each source confirms
- Marathon page: Sunday 25 April 2027, 06:45 start at Big Sur Station, the six-hour limit ending at 13:00, the 10:30 and 11:50 cut-offs, the $325 drawing fee, about 4,500 entrants and minimum age 16, 2027 registration dates, 11 aid stations with gel and strawberry points, the organizer's climb and descent figures, the course map PDF, and bus loading from 03:30 with the last buses leaving by 04:30.
- Future race dates: The last-Sunday-of-April rule and 25 April 2027.
- Register page and registration FAQ: The drawing closed and its winners announced on 8 September 2026, guaranteed entry paths only, Boston 2 Big Sur opening at 08:00 PT on 14 October 2026; the /faqs-about-registration/ page adds the 19 August to 2 September drawing window, VIP limited to 400, no transfer program and registration protection.
- Entry options: Chip-time six-hour limit at 13:45 per mile, the 10 to 20 minutes slower remark, no refunds or deferrals, category changes from 3 to 10 March 2027, and an older first cut-off of mile 13.2 by 10:05 that conflicts with the marathon page.
- Course information and 2026 course map: Point to point on Highway 1, USATF and AIMS certification, the 21-Miler with 6 h 30, and the 2026 map PDF with mile heights (356 ft start, Hurricane Point 560 ft at mile 12, Bixby Bridge at mile 13.1, 10 ft finish) and the 500-plus ft climb between miles 10 and 12.
- Course tour: Mile-by-mile description: downhill first miles, the steep hill after mile 8, the Little Sur River Bridge, Hurricane Point, Bixby and Rocky Creek bridges, Garrapata Bridge, the Carmel Highlands from Malpaso Creek, and the 90 ft final hill before the Carmel River Bridge.
- 2026 marathon participant guide: Three corrals released about every five minutes from 06:45, the limit counted from the last starter, the mile 15.2 and 21.2 cut-offs, pace groups 3:10 to 5:50, one to two hours at the start, no spectators on the course. 2026 facts.
- Expo and packet pickup: 2027 expo at the Monterey Conference Center, Friday 23 April 12:00 to 18:00 and Saturday 24 April 09:30 to 18:00, in-person pickup with photo ID and no proxy.
- Race day transportation: Mandatory free buses to the start, pickup point chosen in March 2027, no parking or drop-off at the start, Big Sur lodging shuttles and return buses from 09:30 to 14:00.