Big Sur Trail Marathon, Half Marathon & 5M

Name: Big Sur Trail Marathon, Half Marathon & 5M
Start: 2025-09-27T00:00:00Z
End: 2025-09-27T00:00:00Z
Location: Big Sur

Home » Races » California » Big Sur » Big Sur Trail Marathon, Half Marathon & 5M

Date

Sep 27, 2025

Starting Time

9:00 AM

Course

Trail

Fees

$105+

Location

Big Sur

Participants

100-500

Terrain

Challenging

Environment

Park Run

Temperature

High: 71°

/ Low: 53°

Overview

The Big Sur Trail Marathon, Half Marathon & 5-Mile race is run along Old Coast Road, the first of its kind that connected the towns of Monterey and Big Sur before the road now known as Highway 1 was built.

Challenging and hilly. Like the road on which it is run, this race is challenging and hilly, with long, steep climbs and descents as well as spectacular scenery throughout the entire race.

And if you’ve ever been to or driven through Big Sur, you know how impressive that scenery is — breathtaking views from craggy bluffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean, as well as trails that wind through sun-dappled redwood and oak grove forests and across bridges overlooking the rocks crashing against the shore.

Runners see all of this along the course starting from the race start line at Andrew Molera State Park, which lies just off Highway 1 (Cabrillo Highway) near the Big Sur River.

Course Description

From there, the course begins a long, winding route northward along Old Coast Road, climbing in elevation from about 200 feet above sea level to just above 1,000 feet above sea level between mile markers 2 and 3. Runners then get something of a reprieve from the steep climb with a long, steady descent between miles 3 and 4.
Big hills around the race midpoint. Then the really challenging uphill starts just after the 5-mile marker, continuing all the way to the half-way point, where runners will reach a peak just above 1,200 feet above sea level.
After that, the field turns around and heads back down Old Coast Road along the course they’ve just run, all the way back to the finish line at the park.
One of California’s smaller running events, the race is limited to 300 entrants and usually sells out every year.
Runners are encouraged to carry either a water bottle or a hydration pack with them to ensure they have plenty of water between aid stations and have a 6.5-hour time limit to complete the race.

Past Results

Big Sur Trail Marathon Half Marathon & 5M Results