Big Sur International Marathon: Pacing & Race-Day Strategy
One of the most beautiful — and hilly — marathons in the world. Run it for the experience rather than a PR.
- Where:
- Big Sur, California
- When:
- Sunday, April 25, 2027
- Course:
- Hilly · scenic · point-to-point
- Best run as:
- Even pace
Course & elevation
Big Sur is a hilly, exposed point-to-point along Highway 1, with substantial climbing throughout. The signature effort is the long grind up to Hurricane Point around miles 10–12, often into a coastal headwind, followed by rolling hills all the way to the finish.
- Start → Finish
- 120 → 60 ft
- Net
- −60 ft
- Total gain
- ≈ 2,182 ft
- Max grade
- +4.52%
Key moments
- Mile 10–12Hurricane Point: a long, exposed 2-mile climb, frequently into wind.
- Mile 13Bixby Bridge, with a piano player and stunning views at the top.
- Mile 20–26.2Deceptive rolling hills late, including a sting near mile 25.
Pacing strategy
This is not a PR course, so pace by effort and add several minutes to a flat-course goal. Bank nothing before Hurricane Point, respect the wind, and enjoy the scenery.
Pacing by goal time
Checkpoint splits for four common goals at Big Sur International Marathon. These are effort-even rather than pace-even: the paces shift with the course profile, so climbs are slower and descents faster by the amount the grade actually costs. For any other goal time, use the planner below.
| Checkpoint | Sub-3:00 | Sub-3:30 | Sub-4:00 | Sub-4:30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mile 3.1 | 20:357:01/mi | 24:018:12/mi | 27:279:22/mi | 30:5310:32/mi |
| Mile 6.2 | 41:086:45/mi | 47:597:52/mi | 54:508:60/mi | 1:01:4110:07/mi |
| Mile 9.3 | 1:01:577:14/mi | 1:12:178:26/mi | 1:22:379:39/mi | 1:32:5610:51/mi |
| Mile 12.4 | 1:25:518:22/mi | 1:40:109:46/mi | 1:54:2911:09/mi | 2:08:4712:33/mi |
| Mile 15.5 | 1:44:406:15/mi | 2:02:077:17/mi | 2:19:338:19/mi | 2:37:009:22/mi |
| Mile 18.6 | 2:04:096:39/mi | 2:24:517:45/mi | 2:45:338:52/mi | 3:06:149:58/mi |
| Mile 21.7 | 2:25:287:03/mi | 2:49:438:14/mi | 3:13:589:24/mi | 3:38:1310:35/mi |
| Mile 24.9 | 2:45:306:27/mi | 3:13:057:31/mi | 3:40:408:36/mi | 4:08:159:40/mi |
| Finish | 2:58:346:33/mi | 3:28:207:38/mi | 3:58:058:44/mi | 4:27:519:49/mi |
Grade adjustment is a model, not a promise. It assumes even effort and ignores wind, heat, and how well your legs handle sustained descent — which on a steep course is often the deciding factor.
Plan your mile splits
Enter your goal time to get a mile-by-mile pacing band for Big Sur International Marathon. The even pace option is pre-selected to suit this course.
| Mile | Pace | Elapsed |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9:09/mi | 9:09 |
| 2 | 9:09/mi | 18:18 |
| 3 | 9:09/mi | 27:28 |
| 4 | 9:09/mi | 36:37 |
| 5 | 9:09/mi | 45:46 |
| 6 | 9:09/mi | 54:55 |
| 7 | 9:09/mi | 1:04:05 |
| 8 | 9:09/mi | 1:13:14 |
| 9 | 9:09/mi | 1:22:23 |
| 10 | 9:09/mi | 1:31:32 |
| 11 | 9:09/mi | 1:40:41 |
| 12 | 9:09/mi | 1:49:51 |
| 13 | 9:09/mi | 1:59:00 |
| 14 | 9:09/mi | 2:08:09 |
| 15 | 9:09/mi | 2:17:18 |
| 16 | 9:09/mi | 2:26:28 |
| 17 | 9:09/mi | 2:35:37 |
| 18 | 9:09/mi | 2:44:46 |
| 19 | 9:09/mi | 2:53:55 |
| 20 | 9:09/mi | 3:03:05 |
| 21 | 9:09/mi | 3:12:14 |
| 22 | 9:09/mi | 3:21:23 |
| 23 | 9:09/mi | 3:30:32 |
| 24 | 9:09/mi | 3:39:41 |
| 25 | 9:09/mi | 3:48:51 |
| 26 | 9:09/mi | 3:58:00 |
| 26.22 | 9:09/mi | 4:00:00 |
Fueling & hydration
Aid stations are spaced along the rural course (roughly every 2 miles) with water and sports drink. The climbs and wind raise the workload, so fuel and hydrate a little more than usual.
Weather
Late-April Big Sur is cool and often foggy or windy on the coast; headwinds are the defining variable.
Is Big Sur International Marathon a good Boston qualifier?
Yes. The course drops 60 ft net, comfortably inside the 1,500 ft threshold where Boston's downhill adjustment begins, so a time here is submitted as run.
This drop is our estimate rather than a figure from the course's certificate. If it sits near a threshold, confirm with the organizer.
Dial in your pacing & fueling
New to how training builds toward a race like this? Start with Anatomy of a Running Plan, find your zones with the pace calculator, and plan race-day nutrition with the fueling calculator.
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