ENTRY LIMITS
100 relay teams will be accepted for the April 27, 2025 race.
REGISTRATION & ENTRY FEES
Entry fees for the April 27, 2025 Big Sur Marathon Relay are as follows:
Marathon Relay Monterey County – $500
Marathon Relay – $585
TEAMS
Relay teams consist of four team members in the categories listed below. The relay is not designed for individual runners wanting to run the marathon. Minimum age for participation is 16 years. Team categories include Open Male, Open Female, Open Mixed, Masters Mixed. Mixed teams require a minimum of one male or one female. For Masters Mixed teams, all members must be age 40 or over. Only complete teams of four are eligible for awards.
RELAY CAPTAINS: For detailed instructions regarding setting up your relay team and inviting others to join your team, please click here.
TRANSPORTATION and EXCHANGE ZONE LOGISTICS
All runners must take a bus to their relay start location along the course; Relay buses leave from Monterey Peninsula College. (Private cars and drop offs are not allowed on the course.) The first leg runner will be bused to the start in Big Sur and all other team members will be bused directly to their exchange points. After completing your leg, you will be bused back to the Finish Village. You have the option of continuing on foot beyond your relay leg, however all handoffs must be made at a relay handoff spot, not an arbitrary place on the course. Buses will take you back to Monterey Peninsula College from the Finish Village after the race.
PACKET PICK-UP & BIB NUMBERS
Complete race packets will be available at the Monterey Conference Center in downtown Monterey race weekend. All team bibs and shirts are picked up by the team captain or designated representative and are not available for individual pick-up.
COURSE
The Big Sur Marathon is regarded as one of the most beautiful and challenging marathon courses in the world. The course is point-to-point running north on historic California Highway 1 from the village of Big Sur to Carmel. Relay participants share the course with full marathoners and other shorter distance events using one lane of the scenic two lane-winding road.
Due to the nature of the course, no animals, pacers, skates, skateboards, bikes, wheelchairs, hand cranks, baby joggers or children/infants in backpacks are allowed on the course. No bandits. No exceptions. If you need special accommodations, call 831.625.6226.
To view the marathon course map and elevation chart, click HERE.
RELAY LEGS
Leg 1: Marathon start to mile 8.1. This includes a gentle downhill most of the first four miles, the redwoods, and scenic views of El Sur Ranch and the Point Sur Lighthouse.
Leg 2: From mile 8.1 to marathon mile 15.2 (7.1-miles). Starting with a breathtaking view of the Point Sur Lighthouse, this leg features rolling hills, the most challenging climb on the course to Hurricane Point, and crosses Bixby Bridge with live music by Michael Martinez on a baby grand piano!
Leg 3: From marathon mile 15.2 to mile 21.2 (6.0-miles). This leg features stunning ocean views, rolling hills, and a nice downhill finish at Grimes Ranch, home to the start of the 11-Miler.
Leg 4: From marathon mile 21.2 to the finish (5.0-miles). The final leg, this leg features amazing views from the rolling hills of Carmel Highlands, our famous strawberry station four miles from the finish, Monastery Beach, and the thrill of the finish line.
AID STATIONS
Aid station amenities include Nuun, water, refill stations for you to refill your personal bottles, portable restrooms, and first aid. First aid includes medical personnel and general medical supplies including feminine products. GU energy gel will be available at mile 12.2 and 19.0. Fruit is available at later stations. The Strawberry Station is at mile 23.2. Relay members will have food, fruit, coffee, water and portable restrooms at their exchange points as well.
Aid station locations are as follows:
Mile 2.5
Mile 4.8
Mile 7.8
Mile 10.4
Mile 12.2
Mile 14.7
Mile 16.9
Mile 19.0
Mile 21.2
Mile 23.0
Mile 24.5
COURSE TIME LIMIT
The Big Sur Marathon course time limit is six hours, a pace of 13:45 minutes per mile (8:32 per km). This is required by our race permit and is closely monitored with no exceptions. There is no course support (aid stations, medical, entertainment, etc.) for any teams not maintaining a 6-hour pace.
There are several check-points on the course and any team who reaches these points behind a 6:00 finish pace will not be allowed to proceed and will be transported to the finish. The course officially reopens to regular vehicular traffic at 1 p.m.
FINISH
The relay ends at the Marathon finish line at Highway 1 and Rio Road. Your final runner who crossed the finish line will pick up finisher medallions for all members of your team. The Finish Village includes light runner refreshments, an adult beverage area, live entertainment, merchandise, gear bag retrieval, and free bus transportation back to Monterey Peninsula College, your morning pick-up location.
RELAY AWARDS
Each member of the top three teams in each category will receive an award at the race-day awards ceremony. Teams with fewer than four members are not eligible for awards. There is no “overall” award for the first team to finish, awards are by relay category only.
IPODS AND AUDIO DEVICES
We strongly discourage the use of iPods, headphones, ear buds or other MP3 or headphone devices in any of our events for safety reasons. Due to the nature of this course, you need to be able to hear verbal instructions or commands from race officials including course marshals on bicycles and to hear other vehicles or emergency vehicles on the course alongside you. We ask that you leave your headsets/earbuds at home to best enjoy the incredible scenery, the sounds of waves crashing against the rocks, the course entertainment and the experience with your fellow runners.
