REVEL Big Bear

Peter Karvelis

2018 REVEL Big Bear Marathon
Published: Oct. 15, 2018, 11:07 a.m.

Overall Rating

5/5 Stars
Describe your race day.

The beautiful first 14 miles of the course. Really enjoyed it!
Did you PR?

Yes, BQ and PR
How would you describe the course?

beautiful scenery, the elevation is somewhat of a factor, the grade was definitely steep in the first half. <Miles 14-20 were pretty painful on the pavement with no variation to rest the quads on.
Tell us about your training.

I did not appreciate the extent of the downhill. Next time I would have done one of my long runs on a sustained down hill of at least 2 hours run time. Even though its a fast course you still have to put in the work, the last 10K always hurts no matter the course.
What advice would you give future runners?

Bring lots of clothes and a backpack to the start, you can fit a backpack in the race bag. Hand warmers and lots of layers. I liked staying close to the shuttle pick up in Loma Linda as opposed to the race finish. Perhaps stay in big bear if you want more of a vacation. If its a "business" trip then loma linda.

Definitely drive the course. (a) its a beautiful drive and (b) to really appreciate the elevation loss. It was beyond my expectations.
What fun things did you do in the area before or after the race?

Driving the marathon course was fun. That's about it. San Diego