12 Hours to Cancellation: Big Sur Half Marathon Case Study

A deadly wildfire that forced the cancellation of numerous Northern California endurance events prompted the Big Sur Marathon Foundation (BSMF) Events team to call off its popular half marathon just over 12 hours before its scheduled start. The decision was made late in in the afternoon on Saturday, Nov. 10. Race start had been scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 11 at 6:50am. Around 7700 runners were registered for the Monterey Bay Half Marathon, a flat and scenic mid- November event with a professional prize purse that has become known as one of California’s most popular destination late fall half marathons. While the BSMF team had been keeping a close eye on the weather since mid-week prior to the scheduled Veterans Day event, things didn’t turn for the worse until weather patterns shi...