- Weather
- 42°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~800 runners
- Course
- Hilly
- Elevation
- 1,200 ft gain · 0 ft net
Event: Sunday - Marathon (Main Event)
PR5Weather9Experience7
Late April · West Coast · Point-to-Point
Big Sur International Marathon
Carmel, CA · Sunday, April 25, 2027
Runs the length of Highway 1 along California's Big Sur coast, and the defining moment isn't speed, it's the climb to Hurricane Point followed by the crossing of Bixby Bridge, one of the tallest single-span concrete bridges in the world. This is a scenery-first race for most people who sign up for it, not a PR course.
Highway 1 along the Pacific coastline
- Scenic
Opens the race organizer's website
Typical start
54°
Cooler than 22% of U.S. marathons
Modeled historical conditions
Elevation gain
1,700ft
Flatter than 3% of races
Estimated total climb
Field size
4.5K
Larger than 91% of races
Estimated field
PR potential
5.4/10
Ahead of 16% of races
Almanac model
Percentiles compare this race against all 224 U.S. marathons in the Almanac.
Course profile
1,700 ft gain
Hilly course, point-to-point.
0510152026.2
Race-day weather
Modeled from location, month and coastal proximity, not verified race history.
6 AM
46°
Start
54°
Midday
61°
ExcellentGoodWarmHeat risk
Typical start sits at 54°F, good conditions.
Typical dew point 32°F, 6% chance of precipitation, wind around 7 mph. All modeled.
The bottom line
This one is about the day, not the clock.
Big Sur International Marathon is a strong choice for runners who like a course with real character, and the climbing is the point here. The tradeoff is time: race it hard early and the hills will collect later.
Why runners choose this race
A point-to-point course around Carmel, CA, with real climbing that will cost you time if you race it hard early.
The case for it
- Runners who care about scenery
The tradeoffs
- You are chasing a flat-course PR
Course and logistics
- Course type
- Point-to-Point
- Surface
- Road
- Profile
- Hilly
- Total gain
- 1,700 ft(estimated)
- Field size
- ~4,500 runners(estimated)
- Crowd support
- Steady crowd support
- Entry
- Data coming soon
- Start / finish
- Start and finish in different locations
Race details
- Typical timing
- Late April
- Next confirmed date
- Sunday, April 25, 2027
- Region
- West Coast
- Editorial tier
- Featured
- Data last reviewed
- 2026-08-26
- Scenic
- Point-to-point
- Hilly course
- Destination race
Similar races
Races with a comparable profile.
- Weather
- 56°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~~410-437 (2024-2026 finishers) runners
- Course
- Hilly
- Elevation
- 4,310 ft gain · 0 ft net
Event: Catalina Island Marathon | Verified 8/26/26: 4,310 ft gain confirmed (template was correct here). Field size corrected DOWN from template guess of 800 to real ~410-437 finishers. Not a BQ course.
PR5Weather9Experience7
- Weather
- 39°Ftypical startModelled estimate
- Field size
- ~600 runners
- Course
- Hilly
- Elevation
- 1,200 ft gain
Spokane River gorge and "Doomsday Hill"
PR5Weather9Experience7