![]() Running publications across the globe regularly put Big Sur on lists of best, most memorable and most scenic marathons. It was named the best destination marathon by the readers of Runner's World magazine in 2009 and selected by the same magazine as one of America's top three marathons, along with Boston and New York. But coming in, you can't see the piano, but you can hear it."īreathtaking views and a memorable grand piano are just two of many reasons Big Sur International has become a must-run race for many, and this year's race will draw runners from all 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., and a record 30 countries. You think of piano, you don't think of it as being this super-loud thing. "I was amazed how far out I can hear the pianist. "It's an incredible sound," says Adam Roach, who will be going for his third straight win in Sunday's race. And, if the wind is right, they can hear the sounds of the grand piano being played on the north side of the bridge, a tradition since the first marathon in 1986. There's kind of a euphoria as you crest over the top."įrom that point, runners look ahead and down to the landmark Bixby Bridge, a mile distant, that marks the race's halfway point. I've come from way down there by the Point Sur Lighthouse and run up this 2-mile climb. ![]() "One of the whimsical signs we have up at the top is, 'Look back at where you've been,' and you look down and back and you go, 'Oh, my God. "When you get up top on Hurricane, there's just such a feeling of accomplishment," says Rolander, who, on Sunday, will run his 29th Big Sur marathon. It's what he sees and feels when he reaches the top of Hurricane Point each year, though, that is his favorite part of the race. So, Rolander, 66, can close his eyes and picture every mile marker, scenic overlook and stretch of asphalt on Highway 1 from Big Sur north to the finish line in Carmel, California. Tom Rolander has driven the route countless times and is one of 16 "Grizzled Vets," the title given to those who've run all 28 Big Sur marathons. The road, carved into the green hillside, twists and turns and gives the parade of straining runners views on their left of the steep drop to the rocky Pacific shore. It's the longest, steepest ascent on the route, with a rise of almost 600 feet. You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browserĪbout 10 miles into the Big Sur International Marathon, runners begin a 2-mile climb up Hurricane Point.
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