Big Sur Marathon , Apr 26, 2015
by Kendra Kuhlman
On a perfect day in April, Heidi and I ran the marathon of a lifetime. At the extreme early hour of 4 AM, we boarded a bus and headed out to the race start at Big Sur Station. The busses are not able to turn around after drop-off, so the only way to get back to our finish line near Carmel, CA was to run.
At 6:45 AM with clear skies and 50 degree temperatures, the race journey began. The landscape changed so much during the 26.2 mile race. The first 5 miles “eased” us in with a gradual downhill slope through a shaded, tree-lined road path. The rolling hills began around mile 5 and didn’t quit.
At mile 11 we faced an intense uphill climb which lasted for 2 miles. It was pure joy to reach the top of this peak, but pure fear to realize this was only the half-way point of the race. The beauty of the course made for welcome distractions and helped to mentally take us away from the endless hills ahead. We followed beautiful Highway 1 with rugged ocean cliffs and cows right beside us!
There were runners from every state in the US, and many countries were represented as well.
With local musicians, a piano player at mile 13, friendly and stocked aid stations, strawberries at mile 23, and stories from runners we met along the way, this proved to be one of the most beautiful, and challenging, marathon courses I’ve encountered.
But in the end, I would run it all over again! It was truly like a dream.
