Big Sur International Marathon
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February 4-10, 2008
www.attpbgolf.com
Kevin Costner, Stone Phillips, Don Cheadle, and Tom Brady. What does this foursome have in common? All four were among celebrities playing in the 2007 AT&T; Pebble Beach National Pro-Am golf tournament. Featuring an all-star line-up of both pros and celebrities, this annual golf tournament is as much fun for serious duffers as it is autograph-seekers and star gazers.
Originally started by crooner Bing Crosby in 1937, this tournament has evolved over the decades into one of the most prestigious stops on the PGA Tour. Run almost entirely by volunteers—many of whom work year-round—the tournament is also one of the Peninsula's largest fundraisers, doling out a whopping four million dollars to local non-profits and other youth-oriented charities each year.
For more information, please call 800-541-9091; tickets will sell out fast as soon as the 2008 all-star line-up is announced.
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Feburary 21, 2008
www.amgentourofcalifornia.com
It has been called the Tour de France of California. The AMGEN Tour of California will bring the drama and excitement of a professional bicycle stage race to the California coast.The world's top professional cycling teams will compete in the 3rd Annual Amgen Tour of California, a breathtaking eight-day, 700-mile bicycle stage race spanning the state. Monterey County and the City of Seaside hosts Stage 3 of the 2008 race, the competition's most exciting and breathtaking stage. At more than 130 miles and with three KOMs, this is the longest stage of the race and will test riders on consistently hilly and technical terrain. The six-hour day begins in beautiful scenic Seaside, circling through Broadway and past City Hall and twists along dramatic oceanfront cliffs and pine-filled canyons on Big Sur's winding Highway 1.
Monterey County is a destination for cycling enthusiasts, featuring cycling venues for mountain bikers, road cyclists and extreme bicyclists. Fort Ord public lands, Carmel Valley and the Coastal Recreation Trail are ideal for mountain and road bikers alike. Monterey County is also home to the Sea Otter Classic bike festival, held annually at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
For more information please visit www.amgentourofcalifornia.com
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April 27, 2008
www.bsim.org
It's 26.1 miles of some of the most beautiful coastline in the world - and, for runners, some of the most challenging. The athletes who participate in the Big Sur International Marathon may draw inspiration from the spectacular views, but it takes major discipline to conquer the hills of Highway One on the way to the finish line.
Named "Best Marathon in North America" by The Ultimate Guide to Marathons, the Big Sur International Marathon continues to sell out earlier and earlier each year and, as a major destination marathon, draws entrants from all over the world. On their way from Big Sur to Carmel's Rio Road, runners wind through majestic redwoods and past Pacific Ocean views. Classical music—including a grand piano poised on Bixby Bridge—greets marathoners at each turn, providing inspiration that has been likened to a spiritual experience.
Related marathon-day events include a 21-mile power walk, 5K run, 9-mile walk, 10.6-mile walk, and marathon relay. An expansive sports expo takes place the day before the run at the Monterey Conference Center. Each year, the non-profit marathon board of directors donates $100,000 to local charities—half of it to those in the Big Sur area.
For more information, call 831-625-6226.
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July 17-20, 2008 at the Salinas Sports Complex
www.carodeo.com
Each July, the Wild West comes alive with the California Rodeo, Salinas. One of the most prestigious stops on the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) circuit and part of the Wrangler ProRodeo Summer Tour, the Rodeo (locally pronounced ro-day-oh) attracts more than 1,000 top-ranked professional cowboys and cowgirls competing for $250,000 in prize money annually. An outgrowth of the Spanish ranchero days when the semi-wild herds of cattle were gathered for branding, ear-marking and castration, the word rodeo is Spanish for "round-up." Today, the Salinas stop is the largest rodeo in the state, and includes the traditional events like barrel racing, bareback and saddle-bronc riding, bull-dogging, calf roping and steer wrestling.
Other-fun filled family events during the Rodeo's Big Week include an evening of cowboy poetry, the annual Kiddie Kapers Parade, and the daily Horse Parade. For more information, please call 800-771-8807 or 831-775-3100; tickets can also be ordered online at www.carodeo.com.
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September (TBA) 2008 at the Salinas Municipal Airport
www.salinasairshow.com
Prepare to be dazzled by fantastic flying exhibitions of jets and helicopters, aerobatics, and skydiving and much more. as the California International Airshow takes flight this fall at the Salinas Airport. Each year the Airshow plays host to some of the most talented aviators in the world, including the Blue Angels, the Navy's six jet precision aerobatic demonstration team, and their northern counterpart the Canadian Snowbirds. Other demonstrations include, "The Wall of Fire," Bill Stein Power Aerobatics, and wing walking. With all this and more, this high-flying experience is sure to be enjoyed by young and old alike!
For tickets and more information please call (831)754-7983 or visit www.salinasairshow.com
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www.laguna-seca.com
Experience the thrill of world-class motorcycle and auto racing in the heart of Monterey County. Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is home to the popular Monterey Sports Car Championship and the Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix. Racing enthusiasts flock here by the tens of thousands each year to watch professional drivers scream through the hairpin turns at top speeds.
The 2008 racing season leads off with the Festival of Speed, featuring the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series and the Champ Car World Series on May 16-18; the 2008 Red Bull U.S. Grand Prix on July 18-20; the 35th Annual Rolex Monterey Historic Automobile Races on August 15-17, timed to coincide with the Concours d'Elegance in Pebble Beach; the Corona AMA Superbike Championships September 27-28; and finally, the Monterey Sports Car Championships on October 17-19.
Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca is recognized as one of the greatest road-race courses in the U.S. Call 800-327-SECA for tickets and event schedule.
If road bikes and mountain bikes are more your speed, you will want to make plans to attend the Sea Otter Classic, scheduled for April 17-20, 2008. This popular cycling festival features professional bicyclists ripping around the Laguna Seca track or maneuvering its tricky off-road course, with plenty of family-friendly bicyling, too. The teams participating in the 24 Hours of Adrenalin (2008 dates to be announced) mountain-bike relay take over the hills and dales around the park with some dare-devil night riding.
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Monterey County plays host to several world-class spectator sporting events each year, drawing visitors and competitors from all over the world. For golf fans, there's the AT&T;'s star-studded celebrity golf tournament. If car racing is more your speed, check out the Indy cars and other racing events at Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca. Salinas plays host to an annual air show featuring military precision-flight squadrons and showcases bronco-bustin' cowboys at the Rodeo. Finally, if sheer determination and human willpower is what you're after, check out the world-class runners puffing down 26 miles on Highway One in what's been consistently called the Best Marathon in North America. Read on for details.
