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Marathon

 

Registration for the 2014 Big Sur International Marathon will open July 15, 2013 at 7:00 AM PDT.

Non-refundable and non-transferable. Once we accept your entry, you will not receive a refund if you cannot participate. You may not give or sell your number to anyone else.
ENTRY FEE INCLUDES:
  • Asics technical fabric shirt in gender specific sizing, featuring an original design.
  • Unique ceramic medallion created by Kathleen Kelly Designs for participants finishing within the official time limit
  • Food and drink at the start and finish
  • Souvenir race program
  • Free Expo and informational race clinics
  • One hour bus ride to the start in Big Sur
  • Medical care
  • Shuttle buses at the finish
  • Water from Private Spring Water and coffee at the start
  • Fluids, food and sanitary facilities on the course
  • Live music on the course
  • CHP security
  • Results online and in Monday's Monterey County Herald 
  • Over 2,000 volunteers working for you
  • Most importantly, the privilege of running along scenic Highway One next to the Pacific Ocean.

    The ENTRY FEE IS NON-REFUNDABLE AND NON-TRANSFERABLE (no refunds, transfers, exchanges). You may not sell or give your bib number to another person. No eBay or Craig's List sale of bibs. No bandits. It's for charity, remember?

RACE DATE: April 27, 2014
STARTING TIME: 6:45 am
CANCELLATIONS:

Per the marathon running industry policy, all entry fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. This policy applies to all entrants and is in effect whether you are injured, have an unexpected family/business emergency, have a medical emergency, etc. If the course has to be changed or the race cancelled due to an act of nature, or the event time changed due to circumstances beyond our control,  there are no refunds or rollovers. You may not sell, transfer or give your bib to another person.  There are NO exceptions.

You do have the option to purchase "Registration Protector" (see below) effective mid-November, 2012, through Active.com at the time of registration.

Your 2014 entry fee IS NOT TRANSFERABLE to 2015
. You do not need to inform us of your cancellation. If you do cancel, you may take the amount of your entry fee as a charitable donation on your income tax return. The Big Sur International Marathon is a 501(c)3 non-profit.

REGISTRATION PROTECTOR

ACTIVE Network has partnered with Allianz Global Assistance to provide event organizers and participants with "Registration Protector." If a participant misses the event for a covered reason, they can have their registration fees reimbursed. Covered reasons include injury, illness, job loss, transportation delays, military/family legal obligations and more. Race cancellation is not covered.

BANDITS & BIB SWITCHING

While it may seem like no big deal to give or sell your race bib to another person, it does present serious consequences to both the race organizers and the participant field alike. Race results and finisher's awards can be impacted and medical staff might not be able to identify a participant in need of treatment on the course.  It is imperative that the person wearing the bib and taking part in the race is the same person that is in our registrant database.

If a person is caught wearing a bib that is registered to someone else, both parties will be banned from participating in all Big Sur events for a period of one year.  The person wearing the bib will also be disqualified from any official results.

CONFIRMATION: Online entries will be confirmed by e-mail from Active.com. If you have spam filters and/or firewalls in place we cannot guarantee you will receive this email. Entries may be confirmed online after 24 hours by going to the "Entry Confirmation" link and entering your last name only.
START / FINISH:

Big Sur to Carmel. Run along scenic Highway One, the nation's first nationally designated Scenic Highway. The course reopens to traffic at 1:00 PM, an approxiamte 6  hour course limit, just over a 14 mpm pace. Sorry, no animals, pacers, skates, skateboards, bikes, baby joggers or children/infants in backpacks allowed on the course. No bandits. No exceptions. Due to the nature of the course, wheelchairs are strongly discouraged. If you need special accommodations, call 831.625.6226.

AID STATIONS:  
(For 2013 Aid
Station locations, click HERE)

There will be water (in cups or you can fill your own bottle) and Gatorade at all aid stations.  There will be fruit at the last eight stations. GU will be available at stations 5 (mile 12.2) and 9 (mile 18.7). Aid station locations are as  follows:

#1:  Mile 2.6
#2:  Mile 5.7
#3:  Mile 7.8
#4:  Mile 10.4
#5:  Mile 12.2
#6:  Mile 13.9
#7:  Mile 15.4
#8:  Mile 17.1
#9:  Mile 18.7
#10: Mile 20.2
#11: Mile 21.2
#12: Mile 23.0
#13: Mile 24.8

There will also be water in cups at the start and finish.

SHIRT SIZING CHART:

Participant shirts are gender specific. Sizing as follow:

Women's Sizing

Size XS(4-6) S(6-8) M(8-10) L(10-12) XL(12-14)
Chest   32"-33" 34"-35" 36"-37" 38"-39" 40"-41"


Men's Sizing

Size S M L XL    XXL
Chest    36"-38" 39"-41" 42"-44" 45"-47"  48"-50"
TIMEKEEPING -
PACE:

Chip timing is provided by South Valley Endurance.  During the race, split times, race pace and predicted finish time will be called at each mile marker.

ELITE RUNNERS A runner is eligible for elite status with a time under 2:30 for men and 3:00 for women.  To inquire about running Big Sur as an elite, contact the Elite Coordinator Steve Butler at ssssbutler@hotmail.com.
AWARDS:

Awards (based on GUN, not chip time) go to the top five male and female finishers and the top three masters (age 40 and over) male and female.  Divisional (age group) awards are based on CHIP time and are presented five deep in five year incremental age divisions, both male and female, after 16-19. Asics shoe certificates go to all first place overall and division winners.  Double-dipping is permitted.

Special division awards are also given to both male and females three deep in the following categories (based on TAG time):
- Monterey County Runner
- Clydesdale (male over 195 lbs.), and 
  Bonnydale (female over 150 lbs.),
- Active Military
- Mozartic (trained in an area that has
  an annual snowfall of 24 inches or
  more).

Awards will be given five deep to both male and female participants in the Boston 2 Big Sur Challenge based on the fastest combined Boston and Big Sur times.

You are not automatically assigned to a special division, you must check the box during registration.  You may only pick one special division.

The awards ceremony will be held at 11:00 AM.  Race day awards will only be given to the top five overall male and female winners, the top three masters (over 40) male and female winners, and the top five male and female Boston 2 Big Sur winners.  All divisional awards will be mailed 4 - 6 weeks following the event.

COURSE RECORDS: Male: Brad Hawthorne, 1987, 2:16:39
Female: Svetlana Vasilyeva, 1996, 2:41:34
ENTRY LIMITS: AND QUALIFICATIONS: Limited to 4,500 qualified entrants (must be 16 years or older, in good health and well trained.) BSIM is a challenging course with a cut-off time of 1:00 PM, approximately 6 hours. ONLY THOSE PARTICIPANTS WHO ARE ABLE TO COMPLETE THE RACE IN 6 HOURS (chip time) WILL RECEIVE A BIG SUR INTERNATIONAL MARATHON FINISHERS' MEDALLION, AN ONLINE FINISHERS' CERTIFICATE AND BE LISTED IN THE VIRTUAL OFFICIAL RESULTS BOOK. No exceptions!  The 6 hour window begins when the last starter crosses the timing start mat in Big Sur.
IPODS AND AUDIO DEVICES:
USA Track & Field has amended Rule 144.3, which pertains to the use of headphones and other electronic devices, to enable race directors to choose to allow the use of headphones by runners in non-championship races.  The rule now reads:

"The following shall be considered assistance and therefore not allowed:

The visible possession or use by athletes of video, audio, or communications devices in the competition area. The Games Committee for an LDR event may allow the use of portable listening devices not capable of receiving communication; however, those competing in Championships for awards, medals, or prize money may not use such devices."

Our organization will allow the use of Ipods and other headphone devices by those not competing for prize money or divisional awards.  We continue to stress that by using an audio device you will compromise your safety and that of others. If wearing an Ipod or other audio device results in you being unable to hear verbal instructions or commands, or approaching vehicles or course marshals on bicycles, you may be asked to relinquish the device.  We ask that you take responsibility and use good judgement if you opt to wear an audio device.  Because the right lane of Highway 1 is open to vehicular convoys the safety of our participants is our first priority.

We truly hope you'll opt to leave your headsets at home and instead let the incredible scenery and music we provide on the course serve as your motivation and inspiration.

BUS
TRANSPORTATION:
All participants are transported from several Monterey Peninsula locations to the start at Pfeiffer State Park, Big Sur. Free bus transportation to the start is for official runners only. Each participant must show race bib number and bus ticket upon loading. Bus loading begins at 3:30 a.m. Why do the buses leave so early? It takes one hour for a bus to travel SAFELY to Big Sur along a narrow winding road in the dark. It takes one hour for a bus to travel back to Carmel. All buses must be back to Carmel prior to 7:00 AM am so the Marathon finish and 5K start area can be constructed on the roadway. Therefore, allowing for possible delays, the final buses must leave for the Start by 4:45 am. Because not all buses can leave at the last minute, bus departures are staggered between 3:30 and 4:45 am. The bottom line is moving almost 9,000 people from several locations to several destinations along a narrow, winding road in the dark TAKES TIME!
COURSE TIME LIMIT: Our permit from the California Dept. of Transportation limits the race to a finishing time of 6 hours, a pace of about 14 minutes per mile. The following rules will apply to all participants:

Finishing Time: By 1:00 PM when Highway One re-opens to traffic, approximately 6 hours or less. Participants who finish the Big Sur International Marathon in 6 hours or less (chip time) will be presented with the Big Sur International Marathon finishers' medallion, be listed in the online results and Official Results Book, and be able to download and print and Official Finisher's Certificate.

Finishing Time: More than 6 hours
Because Highway One is open to two way traffic immediately following the official close of the race, all aid stations must be dismantled and removed from the course prior to the reopening of the highway. This means that there will be NO SUPPORT (i.e., no water, no medical personnel and no communications personnel) for race participants on the course once the aid stations have been dismantled.


 

Because of safety concerns, if a participant has not reached Mile 22 by 12 noon, he/she will not be allowed to proceed past that point.

 

Transportation will be provided to finish area for those race participants who have not reached the 22 mile mark in the time allotted.

An early start is not available. The Marathon begins at 6:45 A.M. and anyone starting prior to that time will be disqualified.