The Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula is a proud sponsor of the Big Sur International Marathon. It takes commitment, it takes discipline, it takes training. One session hosted a presentation by some of the area's elite runners, including Olympic marathoner Maria Trujillo de Rios, a former Marina resident, who was the top-ranked female runner in the world in 1990. Olympic marathoner Nellie Wright of Pacific Grove was also in attendance, as was world-class triathiete Chad Hawker, who spoke about the dynamics of the Big Sur course. In its first year, the clinic drew 125 participants, half of whom were first-time marathoners.
Most people start out thinking that completing a marathon is beyond their realm of possibility.
At the finish line, they have a whole new sense of power. That we can use a world-class marathon to promote health and fitness throughout Monterey County is phenomenal. In addition to planning next year's clinic, Kastner and Packer are also working on the next level of marathon fitness through the development of a screening program to ensure that runners are physically ready for the challenge ahead.