The Big Sur Marathon Foundation (BSMF) announced that it will suspend all in-person events and programs through the Monterey Bay Half Marathon race weekend that was set to take place in November 2021.
Citing the many unknowns concerning the coronavirus pandemic, organizers said the timeline for resuming race planning and registrations is unclear and ever-changing.
“We are devastated about canceling all our in-person events and programs for 2020 and now for 2021,” said Race Director Doug Thurston. “That said, we have refocused our staff’s creative efforts on producing our Big Surreal Virtual Challenge and look forward to hearing how our runners enjoy the experience.”
By placing the 36-year-old nonprofit organization in a hibernation of sorts, race officials hope to minimize financial and operational damage so the organization can organize races when safe to do so. As a result, the following events/programs have been canceled:
- November 2020 Monterey Bay Half Marathon in-person and virtual races. Registration had not yet opened for either event.
- Just Run youth fitness program for the 2020/21 school year
BSMF has suspended all plans for the following 2021 events/programs:
- April 2021 Big Sur Marathon weekend of races
- June 2021 Run in the Name of Love
- November 2021 Monterey Bay Half Marathon race weekend
- Grants for volunteer organizations that support race weekend efforts
With no current races on the horizon, the BSMF Board also made the decision to reduce its staff to two employees – Race Director Doug Thurston and Administrative Manager Chris Balog. The organization said it would continue to monitor updates regarding COVID-19 and remained hopeful that it would be able to safely hold races and other programs in 2022.
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