The Big Sur Marathon had been a bucket list race for me, so during the summer, I signed Kim and myself up for the lottery. Time went by, and I completely forgot about it until Kim called me one day.
He said, “I just got an email from Big Sur. I got into the lottery, but I don’t remember signing up.” I laughed and said, “That’s because I signed you up!” I quickly checked my email and discovered that I hadn’t gotten in. Determined not to miss out, I secured an entry by raising money for a charity.

We were thrilled to have friends from Connecticut join us in California for the race. Our travel adventure began with a delayed flight from Connecticut, resulting in a later flight with a long layover in Minnesota. We made the best of it, but by the time we landed, we still had a couple of hours to drive to our hotel. The drive was terrifying—windy, hilly roads in the pitch dark, and it was already midnight EST.
I don’t know how Kim managed to keep his eyes open, but we finally arrived and grabbed some food at a nearby restaurant.
On the way back to the hotel, Kim made a wrong turn and accidentally headed onto the highway. Thinking quickly, he took a sharp turn over the median, brushing through tree branches to turn us around. It was hysterical, and the next morning, the car still had branches stuck on the windshield!
The weather was not what I had anticipated. It was quite chilly, so I ended up buying a pair of pants to keep my legs warm. Race morning started painfully early; we woke up at 2 a.m. to catch the shuttle to Big Sur. The bus ride took us along a winding, dark road to the starting line. Once the race began, we started downhill, not knowing what the course would bring.
The route started in the woods, transitioned into farmland with cows grazing in the fields, and then delivered one stunning view after another of the Pacific Coast. At one point, we noticed runners stopping to take photos. When we stopped to look, we were greeted by the most breathtaking views of the ocean. Each mile marker featured a funny sign, and we couldn’t resist stopping to pose for photos at several of them.
The climb up Hurricane Point was challenging, but the reward was unforgettable. At the halfway point, we heard the ethereal sounds of a piano. There he was—the famous Big Sur pianist—playing a grand piano stationed in a parking lot with the ocean as his backdrop. The course continued to amaze us with its beauty, and mile after mile, we soaked it all in until we finally crossed the finish line.
The post-race celebration was fantastic, with warm and delicious food waiting for us. I absolutely loved this marathon and hope to come back next year to experience it all over again!
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