We rate Big Sur for the best coastline in road racing, not the clock: it's a point-to-point up Highway 1 with roughly 665 meters of climbing, including the 170-meter grind to Hurricane Point near mile 10, and coastal headwinds that can stall you. April runs about 7 to 14 degrees. Entry is a free random drawing for around 5,000 spots, headphones are banned, and a pianist plays at Bixby Bridge near halfway.
Better info coming — we're still verifying 1 field on this race.
Why we'd pick it
- 665 m of climbing: rolling, not pancake-flat.
- It's a lottery. Enter the day it opens, not the week before.
- A non-racing partner gets a real weekend here — 4/5.
- Race day usually sits 7–14°C, about 20% chance of rain.
The course
Point-to-point north up Highway 1 with the Pacific on your left the whole way, about 665 meters of total climbing against a slightly larger descent. The gut-check is the two-mile grind to Hurricane Point at roughly miles 10 to 12, a 5% pull to the course high point near 170 meters, often straight into a coastal headwind. The payoff comes at the halfway mark, where a tuxedoed pianist plays a baby grand at Bixby Bridge.
