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    Monterey Bay Half Marathon

    4.6 (73 reviews)

    Monterey Bay Half Marathon Photos

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    Angelique M.

    I've run over 20 half marathons and this one takes the lead as one of my all time favorites! 1. Fantastic staff and awesome volunteers. This race was so well organized! 2. Great runner swag and a really cool, unique medal! 3. The course was BEAUTIFUL. I can't emphasis it enough. B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L. It hugs the coast for almost the entire course and you just have gorgeous views of the water and scenery, not to mention doing a little house browsing 4. Small, but mighty expo If you get the opportunity, run this race!

    Post-race snacks and otterly awesome finishers medal
    Christine A.

    I had myself a little race-cation or run-cation, whatever you want to call it. Despite the name, this half marathon actually takes place in Monterey and Pacific Grove. This is a great destination race; very scenic, dare I saw more so than the two SF runs (Nike & RnR) I participated in? You got the view of the crashing waves, Cannery Row, and the aquarium where we were met with a staff member who donned a huge octopus head piece and a couple others as jellyfish. I loved the mile markers. Some of them were funny with bubble quotes and most represented that particular area we were running in. Besides the water and Gatorade (lemon-lime) stations, there was actually more than one station for Gu and salted caramel was one of the flavors too. It's my fave. That morning, I took the shuttle to the start line from the north side of the Del Monte shopping center. They have another shuttle location at the college. It was perfect running weather although my face got exposed to the sun when it did come out for a little bit as I chose to run without a hat and shades. The course is a good one to PR in if you don't stop to take any photos like I did. I do remember a short uphill towards the end. One thing I noticed was this race had more music on the course than a Rock 'n' Roll marathon (provided that I've only done halves). Chariots of Fire and Eye of the Tiger were played, probably on repeat and there were taiko drummers. The course ends near Fisherman's Wharf. Unfortunately they don't give you bottled water so I had to gulp down a couple cups of water but there were more cups further down the ways. The finisher's medal, or I should say medallion, is actually made of ceramic with an adorable otter on it with a leather strap. It makes for a very unique one in my collection of medals. For post-run refreshments, runners get minestrone soup but I seemed to have missed that tent but Dole provided a small can of juice, fresh fruit such as apples, bananas, grapes, and strawberries. We also got some beef jerky, chocolate milk, and I saw others who got a small bag of chips. I would definitely love to come back and do this run again but maybe in a few years. (This took place the same day as the Avengers half at Disneyland and Rock n Roll Las Vegas.)

    2009 Finishers' Medallion
    Wilhelm Y.

    My 700th review is dedicated to Clyde R. In addition to completing his first half marathon Clyde was very generous with his time in meeting up with me on the day prior to the race to drive me around to see some of the highlights in Carmel, Pacific Grove and the Monterey area pointing out favorite places along the way. The Big Sur Half Marathon was exactly like advertised with excellent organization, a great course and some of the most amazing scenery I've ever witnessed in a half marathon. Among all the races I've been lucky enough to participate in I rank this one very high on the list of most scenic right up there with the Grand Canyon International Marathon (2002) and the Lake Tahoe Marathon (2001). The weather was absolutely perfect on race morning. The air was cold and crisp, but the winds were very light. I arrived at the race site fairly early and did some long series of stretches and warm-ups along the Municipal Wharf. Clyde and I talked about finding one another to bump fists before the run, but within the thousands of runners that task was nearly impossible. I settled into my corral way back with the slower runners and just enjoyed the moment conversing with fellow participants one moment and lost in deep thought at another. Monterey will always be a military town, and after showing our love for our service people stationed throughout the world we stood back to a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem. I was quite surprised that each and every corral in this race has its own start. In terms of keeping the course less congested the method works, but if you were planning on catching up with another runner in a corral ahead of you that would prove more difficult. Since everybody is timed based on the chip attached to your shoe the where and when wasn't a big factor. I experienced some tightness near my left shin early on but the high energy level from other participants kept me going. The pain disappeared as I settled into a comfortable pace after mile three. I had slowed to take a quick walk break coming out of the tunnel on the incline and the long stretch I did alleviated most of the pain. Occasional course entertainment and water stops roughly stationed every two miles helped give me a boost every so often. There is one major hill as you approach Pacific Grove and make the climb up to Lighthouse Avenue, but once past that the course was the perfect blend of rolling ups and downs. We went up as far as Asilomar before turning around for the final 5.6 miles. The sights and sounds of big waves crashing along the coast were absolutely stunning, and I seemed to pick up more energy once I had wound back onto the familiar paved Monterey Coastal Trail which I had walked along every day since my arrival. It was an excellent race with a beautiful ceramic finishers' medallion (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/rzNSy_b9ya_IflEV8C0_-w?select=-bz6B_WUq1LDTKiboAqWfw) at the end and lots of delicious refreshments to help me reinvigorate. Fresh fruit, oatmeal cookies and bagels, hot minestrone soup and even cold beer were offered. I did some long stretches underneath the warming sunlight and the hot soup was just what I needed. Big Sur Half Marathon - I will return for this is now one of my favorite half marathons around!

    Beautiful!
    Jeremy H.

    AMAAAAAZING HALF MARATHON in Monterey/Pacific Grove!!! If you are going to run just one Half Marathon (13.1 mile race), then this is the one you should run! Also, frequent race-goers who may not have experienced this one also need to run it! This Half is so beautiful as most of it is along the coast, and there are many rooting spectators along the course, various bands playing live music, as well as a bagpiper and a little chariots of fire music I remember hearing over my ipod mix.... somewhere along the way. There were various cheerleading squads along the way, as well as a guy with a sign saying, "I JUST FARTED, RUN FASTER".... haha! Also, a woman sang the National Anthem just before the start of the race which was pretty cool & motivational. The course is fairly flat with only a few rolling hills which is very nice when you're trying to beat your personal record. There was over 9000 runners I believe this past Sunday, 11/18/12; however, the course never got too crowded. Here is why: When you register you indicate your expected finish time, and based on this, they assign you to a lettered corral. At the start line, the first group (corral A) runs first, then 3 minutes later corral B goes, and on and on... every 3 minutes. I think there was about 9 corrals total. I was in the 2nd group, corral B. This spreads out the runners to alleviate the sardine-like-effect experienced at many other large Half Marathons. I just ran this Half Marathon on Sunday 11/18/12, and I crushed my previous record by 13 minutes with my final time of 1:40:51 (a 7min-41sec per mile pace). It has been several days and I am still effing thrilled!!! I don't think I have stopped smiling since I crossed the finish line...lol. I am not much of a runner, so in the past I had a hard time settling on a pace, as I did not want to overdue it too early and fade. However, at this race, there were "pacesetter runners"! What are they you ask? They were guys who ran holding a stick with 3 balloons on it, with their ave. pace indicated. My goal was to run it in 1hr-45min, so I found the 1hr-40 min pacesetter guy at the beginning of the race and made the mental decision that I was NOT going to allow him to get very far in front of me. So, I did not have to worry about my pace, I just chased the 1:40 pacesetter (and actually was out in front of him slightly for a good part of the race). It worked! THANK YOU 1:40 PACESETTER GUY!!! :) It's amazing what your body can do when you just make up your mind to do something! Parking was easy, as they had several offsite lots, with shuttles to and from the race. There was plenty of food and drinks afterwards! I just loooooove this course! Who wants to run it with me next year?

    from bigsurhalfmarathon.org
    Marsha Z.

    Four months ago, I had no idea what I had gotten myself into, having just registered for a race that I knew would require a training schedule and a hard dose of self-discipline. Little did I know how much sacrifice I would have to make in preparing to run 13.1 miles. Running hungover might be the closest thing to death, and I came to the realization that getting wasted was no longer an option. Staying out late dwindled, as I found myself having to awake early for a 6 a.m. run (on a weekend, no less) to keep on schedule. I voluntarily changed my work schedule to come in an hour and a half earlier, allowing me to leave early so I was able to fit in a run while it was still light out. The night owl in me suddenly turned into an early bird. And while it all sounded like self-punishment, I came to enjoy every minute of it. It all pays off once you're treated to views of the deep blue Pacific (though, oyster scented) coastline. With only one minor hill, the relatively flat course winds through downtown Monterey, through Cannery Row, out to the bedroom community of Pacific Grove along Asilomar Beach and back. With ocean scenery, an easy course, and cool temps, I can't think of a better first half to conquer. The organization of the event was excellent. Water and aid stations did not turn into mass chaos, but instead, worked like clockwork. Military personnel called out times each mile, helpful in keeping track of pace. Musical groups and locals spread out along the course to show their support can only help to boost ones morale. And as always, there's no better motivator to get you to the finish line faster knowing there's free beer at the end.

    Ensemble. #ConcreteRunners
    Jane A.

    JUST KEEP ON RUNNING Finally. We. Run. BigSur. Waited years to run this race and get this medal :) THE EXPO. Spent more than I had anticipated! Usually avoid expos because they are SO crowded but the way this expo was organized gave the runner time to go into the expo and buy stuff. Energy GUs, jelly beans, gel blocks, etc are discounted. There was an awesome booth where I bought sleeves with a cute runner design logo. Spend spend spend THE RUN. I've ran several 13.1 races and will say Big Sur 1/2 Marathon was one of the more beautiful ones. I absolutely love running by the water, it makes you forget the pain in your feet and legs. HA! The course has one big hill and several small rolling hills, didn't expect that and will train for it better next time. Thy are strict with corral line ups, can't go into earlier corrals before your assigned corral but you can go to any corral behind your assigned corral. Corral E as I thought would be a less crowded one...LIES... It was the biggest corral (something I try to avoid and how ironic to get stuck in it). The course was easy but there are times the path ways were narrow and it was annoying to weave through the crowds. Loved the spectators, music, and cheer stations throughout the course - made everything a lot more fun. Best part was running past the Monterey Aquarium and the staff with fake gigantic octopus and jelly fish costumes (made me hella laugh and smile) AND the drummers. OMG the drummers were amazing. Ok, shout out to the DJ playing YMCA... Helped me push through mile 12 dancing to it. The part I didn't like was the smell running through the cannery... Smelt like dead fish but it made me run faster. THE AFTER MATH. Probably one of the most organized event I ran. Id say I like the less crowded races because it doesn't feel like a cluster f*. The food is better than many races, you get a lot of goodies.. Including WARM SOUP. Getting your bag check was so easy and very very very organized. I might have to say this close to my favorite race. If my favorite race didn't cross the Golden Gate Bridge then this race would no doubt be #1. Will be running this race every year moving forward!!! JABA APPROVED. Until the next review...

    About .25 away from the finish line
    Jocelyn T.

    My first time running the big sur half marathon and definitely was a great experience. I highly recommend runners to participate because the views and scenery were spectacular, race was very well organized and the weather was perfect. (50 degree weather). My goal was to run under 2 hours and my time came in at 1:52 although my nike + app clocked me in at 1:49. Course had a few rolling hills but did not bother me a bit. Hercules has a abundance of hills and training around my neighborhood and strength training definitely helped a lot. I did have a concern though about the organization not allowing portable audio devices and I cannot see myself running without my music. I did ask one of the race organizers at the expo and they say it's acceptable however they do not recommend it. As for hotel accommodations, I stayed at the Colton Inn which was a easy peasy 15 min walk. We left our hotel around 6:40am and arrived at my corral just in time and didn't have to wait too long until it was my turn to run. Overall, awesome experience and highly recommend!

    Predawn pic of peaceful starting line
    Jon Z.

    Best half marathon I have ever done! This is the "destination" half marathon to do in the US if you have th etime. It is so well run and organized, never a long wait for pota-potties, and has the best scenary ever. The expo was well organized, and I was able to exchange my T-shirt for a different size easily without a long wait. There was your typical vendors selling pre-race accessories and gels, etc. We parked at the community college lot and within 5 minutes a shuttle bus came to drive us to the race start. Once at the race start, there is a convenient McDonald's that a lot of runners were gathering in to stay warm (its was 40s in the morning). There are also a plethora of porta-potties by the starting line and they were really clean! As the race progressed, you are treated to amazing views of the Pacific ocean on your right as you start the trail. The sun will be coming up and in your face so I highly recommend a hat or sunglasses. Around the turnaround, the ocean will be to your left on the way back. You got your medal almost as soon as you cross the finish line. There was plenty of post-race food and snacks for everyone. One complaint was the Michelob beer line was INSANELY lone and I didn't want to wait in that line. However, I was able to get some good bean soup that the volunteers were serving next to the beer line. The volunteers in this race are awesome and to be commended for their time and effort. After the race was done, they directed us to the shuttle bus area where there were plenty of buses waiting to take the runners back to the parking lots. Although I didn't set a PR due to pacing a friend running a half marathon for the first time, this was the most enjoyable race I've gone on and I can't wait to come back here again!

    11.14.10
    Sunny K.

    Crazy beautiful view!!!! Just so beautiful!! I forgot about rolling hills while my eyes were busy capturing the foggy views which looked more like a smoke streaming out of the rocks & sand. The drumming was incredible. I wanted to stop & listen but you know, you gotta keep running... The medal was as beautiful as the race. Even if you are not a runner, you will enjoy it because it feels differed than driving down the same route which I did after the race. Must do race. It was sold out last year so I signed up early for this year. If you are looking for a race to enjoy, sign up for this! The tech shirt was nice too.

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    Review Highlights - Monterey Bay Half Marathon

    The course is fast and you spend a good amount of time running down Cannery Row and along the beach...

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    Sister Carlotta Performing Arts Center

    Sister Carlotta Performing Arts Center

    5.0(1 review)
    2.5 km

    Sister Carlotta Performing Arts Center is a Theatre venue on the Santa Catalina School Campus in…read moreMonterey, behind the fairgrounds. Santa Catalina is a private school with a lower school and an upper school. The lower school, is co-ed and goes to the 8th grade. The upper school is a girls private high school, with about 150 live-in boarding students and about the same number of day school attendees. It is a Catholic school of privilege, but 30% of the kids get financial aid (boarding tuition $38k, day tuition $24k) and they have girls attending from all over the world, of all races, ethnicities, and social backgrounds. It is well known for its sports programs, performing and visual arts, and acacemic excellence. Patty Hearst went here, and so did Cary Grant's daughter. The Theatre is named after Sister Carlotta, who for decades ran the school and who loved the arts and created a rich tradition here. The theatre is not your typical high school drama venue. It seats over 400 people, has a full stage with wings, the latest in lighting and sound, and is bigger and better equipment than most of the private adult theatres on the Monterey Peninsula and the local Junior College. and State University. What is also surprising is the talent level. The school does 3 annual productions, 2 musicals and 1 drama. On my first visit, I saw Meridith Wilson's "The Music Man", made famous in the 1950s by Robert Preston on stage and film. (With songs like "Till There Was You", "76 Trombones", "Gary Indiana", and "Trouble in River City"). What was remarkable was the quality of the production for a High School play. There were at least 30 cast members, none in want of multiple costumes, a hired orchestra, settings and scenes to match most levels of theatre, and the talented singers and dancers you can't find the equal to of more than 2 in most high schools. This was an all female troup (except for the hired Barbershop Quartet) that played all the roles, including a dozen traveling salesmen! Danielle DeMaria was particulalry good as Professor Harold Hill (the lead) considering she had little expereince and was an understudy bit player only 2 weeks before opening. Thoroughly Modern Millie will be the spring Musical. Tickets are only $9. If you are on the Monterey Peninsula and enjoy live theatre, you might check into this delightful venue.

    Monterey Bay Half Marathon - races - Updated May 2026

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