November 12-13 2016 OFFICIAL RESULTS BOOK 2016 Official Race Results 3 Thanks For Your Participation 4 Elite Review 6 Runner Survey 7 Event Demographics 7 Half Marathon Male Winners 9 Half Marathon Overall Results - Male 19 Half Marathon Female Winners 20 Half Marathon Overall Results - Female 37 By the Bay 3K & Pacific Grove Lighthouse 5K 38 3K Results (alphabetical) 40 5K Divisional Results - Male & Female 41 5K Overall Results - Male 43 5K Overall Results - Female 45 Half Marathon Memories 46 Our Volunteers 47 Our Sponsors & Supporters 48 Big Sur Marathon Family of Events 49 2017 Waves to Wine Challenge BIGSURHALFMARATHON.ORG P.O. Box 222620 Carmel, CA 93922-2620 831.625.6226 [email protected] Cover photo by Edie Ellis TVR Photography Thanks For Your Participation Congratulations! The 14th Half Marathon on Monterey Bay last Novem- Our Half Marathon weekend of events is produced by ber featured stunning views of large waves crashing the Big Sur International Marathon, the same non- along the rocks of the Monterey Bay shoreline, bright profit organization that produces the namesake week- sunshine after a foggy start, and great performances end of events each April, the Run in the Name of Love among more than 6,200 finishers. The day before the 5K in Carmel each June on Father’s Day, the Salinas half marathon, the Pacific Grove Lighthouse 5K and Valley Half Marathon in August, and the year-round, By-the-Bay 3K featured a sparkling, clear morning and award-winning JUST RUN youth fitness program. Our a record number of runners along the coastal course. event committee features more than 80 dedicated and passionate volunteers coordinating the efforts of We know there are many races from which to choose more than 1,500 volunteers throughout race weekend. and we thank you for choosing our event. We had These groups, military units, and organizations are entrants from 49 of our 50 states—can you guess listed on page 47. This race also would not be possible which state was missing? The answer is below—and without the support of many dedicated sponsors, the two dozen countries. cities of Monterey and Pacific Grove, and our friends at the Dali17 Museum and California State Parks. We hope you noticed and enjoyed the numerous small changes throughout race weekend. Many of you We hope you will mark November 12, 2017, on your rang the “PR Bell” in the finish village and thousands calendar and join us for our 15th presentation. And, enjoyed a refreshing post-race celebratory glass of please, bring a friend! Registration will open on April Barefoot Bubbly or a Lagunitas beer. We also added 3, 2017. Be sure and follow us on Facebook (look for more course entertainment and more post-race food us under “Big Sur International Marathon”) and follow options. And, there was the inaugural “Equalizer Chal- us on Twitter and Instagram (@BSIMEvents). We’ll lenge” at the front of the half marathon, where we keep you informed of developments for all of our started the elite women’s field nine minutes in front events, remind you when registration opens, feature of the elite men to see who would cross the finish line fun contests and beautiful pictures, and entertain with first. See the story for more details on page 4. conversations from fellow runners around the world. Also, download our mobile app at the App Store or We are very proud of our events yet also challenge Google Play; search under “BSIM Events.” ourselves to continually improve the race weekend experience. Thank you to the more than 1,800 en- Oh, and the state without an entrant this year was trants who completed our survey, giving us valuable Delaware! feedback. A summary of some of the notable com- ments and interesting event demographics begins on Best wishes for your training and racing in 2017 and page 6. beyond. Tom Rolander Alice Crawford Doug Thurston Chairman of the Board Events Committee Chair Race Director Half Marathon on Monterey Bay • Page 3 • Official 2016 Results Book Ian Higuera Alheli Curry Elite Review Men Win Inaugural Equalizer Bonus at Half Marathon on Montery Bay The first ‘battle of the sexes’ challenge provided an exciting finish to the Half Marathon on Monterey Bay last November. The 16 female elite and seeded runners started the race nine minutes ahead of the 26 top male runners. The differential was based on the average gap between the first male and female finishers in this race the last five years. After a relaxed first few miles at 5:45-per-mile pace that saw eight women running together through the low clouds and fog along Monterey Bay, five women broke away and started pushing the pace, perhaps Aaron Braun sensing they needed to average more like 5:30 miles to hold off the men. Kaori The women’s pack was whittled down to four be- fore a turn-around near Asilomar State Beach. It was shortly after this, at their mile eight, that the leading group of women saw the pack of about five men less than a mile behind them on the out-and-back section of the course. By nine miles, the top three women were working together to keep the intensity high and to take turns fighting a pesky head wind. Sara Pagano of Brighton, MA, Becky Wade of Louisville, CO and Lauren Jimison Braun catches the lead woman on Cannery Row of El Dorado Hills, CA were on track to be the first three women. The question was if one of them would also be first to the finish. Alheli Curry The men’s pack dwindled to three and began mak- ing up more than 30 seconds a mile on the pack of ladies, sometimes visible on rare straight sections of the course. Aaron Braun of Flagstaff, AZ, Daniel Tapia, a native of nearby Castroville and now training in Mammoth Lakes, CA. and Martin Hehir, Braun’s train- ing partner in Flagstaff, could see the women only a hundred yards ahead as they ran past the Monterey Bay Aquarium on Cannery Row at mile 12. Despite the cheers and encouragement of hundreds of runners still headed outbound, at mile 12.3, Braun pushed past first Jimison, Pagano, and, finally a few strides ahead, Wade. Braun went on to hold off Tapia by four seconds to take the win in 1:03:32 and win continued on next page Sarah Pagano Half Marathon on Monterey Bay • Page 4 • Official 2016 Results Book (continued) Elite Review the $5,000 ‘equalizer’ bonus for the first person to Daniel Tapia, the 2010 winner of the Big Sur Inter- cross the finish line. He added that to the $4,000 as national Marathon, finished four seconds behind the first male finisher for the largest first prize ever Braun in 1:03:36 with Martin Hehir 9 seconds later awarded at this race. at 1:03:45. “I was optimistic but it’s such a long Wade held on for second in 1:13:08 race,” Braun said after the race. “Just like “How can you among the women with Jimison com- life, you just keep trying and eventually beat this? The ing in the third female spot at 1:13:13. the finish line comes and it’s worth it.” whole course was The elite competition purse totaled Pagano surged past Wade in the last 200 incredible and the $32,000 in prize money and bonuses, yards to take home the $4,000 women’s people cheering making this year’s Half Marathon on first prize in 1:13:04. The final gap -be Monterey Bay the country’s fourth rich- tween the men’s and women’s champi- along the way est half marathon race. ons was nine minutes and 32 seconds. was a really fun part too.” “Today couldn’t have gone any better,” Pagano called the gender competition said race director Doug Thurston. “It “awesome,” and praised the beauty of ~ Sarah Pagano was an exciting elite finish and a beau- the course. tiful day with many runners getting PR’s (personal records).” TVR Pho.tography Sarah Pagano (5), Becky Wade (8), Lauren Jimison (15), and Mara Olson pull away from Caroline Rotich near mile 6 Half Marathon on Monterey Bay • Page 5 • Official 2016 Results Book We’re Listening... 2016 Runner Survey Results EXIT POLL OVERALL APPROVAL RATINGS Runner Survey Comments and Suggestions Course 98% Thanks to the more than 1,800 entrants who completed the post-race survey. We have read through the thousands of individual comments, Volunteers 97% sharing with our volunteer race committee the things you liked and Overall Event Organization 96% the things we can improve for our next event. Gear Check 96% Some common themes are: Online Registration Process 95% Aid Stations 94% What you liked: Start Area 94% • The Lagunitas beer and Barefoot Bubbly after the race Finish Area 94% • The energetic and entertaining race announcers • Gorgeous coastal views, crashing waves, and scenery on all courses Timing & Results 93% • Unique finisher medallions Race Weekend Instructions 93% • The PR bell Packet Pick-up 92% • The on-course entertainment including the tunnel light show, bagpiper, and the drummers Website 92% • Overall race organization and friendly volunteers Awards Ceremony 91% Course Entertainment 90% Areas for improvement: • The fit of the women’s race shirts Post-race Refreshments 90% • The number of vendors in the expo Toilet Facilities 89% • Lack of directional signage to the post-race shuttle location Social Media 87% • Long lines for the post-race brew and bubbly • Early road closures in Monterey that made parking difficult Event Shirt Design 83% • Course crowding in some areas including at the aid stations Expo 80% Race Merchandise for Sale 80% Thank you to all who participated in our races.