Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, July 6, 1995 TAG: 9507060015
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CHRIS KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Those are a sampling of the terms used by Blacksburg runner Rosemary Siegel to describe the Big Sur International Marathon in California, which she recently completed in 4 hours and 10 minutes.
The course runs from Big Sur to Carmel and has affectionately been dubbed "26.2 Miles of Truth." The truth being that the course is considered one of the most difficult in the world. And maybe one of the most eccentric.
The mascot for the race is a cow; classical music played on a grand piano atop a cliff serves as inspiration for the runners. At the end of the race, each participant receives a rose and a ceramic medallion.
While many marathons rely on reputation to attract participants, Big Sur counts on the majesty of the course itself. Siegel was initially drawn to the race by the pictures in an advertisement.
"It is just you, the sea, the sky, the cliffs," Siegel said. "You get lost in the beauty ... Running the Big Sur is like going to church in a beautiful, classic cathedral that is a work of art. It is a spiritual experience."
This April marked the 42-year-old Siegel's second Big Sur race. She has already registered for next year's race, which is limited to 3,000 participants.
While Big Sur is Siegel's favorite marathon, it is not her only one. She runs four races a year, and this year competed in the Boston Marathon on April 17, only three weeks before the Big Sur race.
And though she qualified for the the Boston Marathon again next year, Siegel will pass up that historic race to concentrate on Big Sur.
"All the other races are so competitive," Siegel said, "but your emotions kind of surface in this race and you do crazy things on the course."
Siegel ran in her first marathon, the Mardi Gras Marathon, a year after the birth of her 13-year-old son. A former college tennis player, she was looking for a way to stay in shape.
At last year's Twin Cities Marathon, she covered the 26-mile course in a career best 3 hours and 20 minutes, allowing her to qualify for the Boston Marathon (the qualifying time was 3:50:0).
She has her sights set on completing a race in under 3 hours.
Siegel does several speed runs a week and usually has a run of at least 20 miles on the weekend.
The training, she says, "is 90 percent mental. But it is still going to hurt ..."
by CNB