Teams and Multi-Event Challenge Now Part of Monterey Bay Half Marathon

The popular race, formerly known as the Big Sur Half Marathon on Monterey Bay, is placing more focus on its location along the Pacific Coast. The race begins and ends in Monterey and includes a loop through downtown Pacific Grove before returning to the coast.  Nearly 80% of the race is along the water’s edge in the two cities, offering scenic vistas of crashing waves and frequent encounters with the marine wildlife. The Monterey Bay Half Marathon has been named as a top destination marathon due to its vacation location on the Monterey Peninsula.

As registration opens, the first 500 registrants will receive a $20 discount off their entry fee. They will also have the opportunity to sign up for the ‘Ocean View Challenge,’ a new category that includes completing both the Pacific Grove Lighthouse 5K on Saturday, November 11 and the Monterey Bay Half Marathon on Sunday, November 12. A discounted combined entry fee will be offered when signing up for both races.

Another addition to the race is a teams’ category. Three or more runners from companies, running groups, school groups, military and others can compete for team prizes. All finish times will be age and gender graded in order to equalize the runners’ finish times to establish the top three combined team times in each category.

The Monterey Bay Half Marathon continues to be a top elite race with a competitive field of the nation’s best half marathoners. A $32,000 prize and bonus purse is offered including an exciting “Equalizer Bonus” for the first person to cross the finish line. A staggered start of nine minutes between the female and male runners makes for an exciting race between the top men and women runners over the 13.1-mile distance.

Part of the Big Sur Marathon’s “family” of running events, the Monterey Bay Half Marathon is the final race of the annual “Waves to Wine Challenge.” Runners who complete the Monterey Bay Half in November, along with the Salinas Valley Half Marathon in August and one additional race in the organization’s portfolio, will receive a special medallion and be eligible for additional prizes.

Early bird registration fees for the Monterey Bay Half Marathon are $100 for the first 500 entrants. The Ocean View Challenge registration fee is $135 for both races. To learn more and register, visit www.montereybayhalfmarathon.org.