Big Sur Marathon Foundation Names Michelle La Sala as Race Director for Events

November 1, 2024

CARMEL, CA. /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – As the non-profit Big Sur Marathon Foundation (BSMF) seeks their next Executive Director to lead the organization, the board of directors has appointed Michelle La Sala of Blistering Pace Race Management (BPRM) to fill the role of Race Director for both the Big Sur International Marathon and the Monterey Bay Half Marathon. BPRM has worked with BSMF since 2016, initially managing several operational aspects of the events, but transitioning to full race management in June of 2021.

La Sala also acts as the Race Director for the San Francisco Half Marathon (10K & 5K) as well as the Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon and Half Marathon, both managed by BPRM. La Sala has had a twenty-year career in the running industry, launching Blistering Pace Race Management in 2016, but working for the Los Angeles Marathon, the New York Road Runners, and the Sacramento Running Association prior to that.

“I’ve learned a great deal from the operation and organization of both the Big Sur Marathon and the Monterey Bay Half Marathon as well as working alongside the board of directors and the race committee. They are incredibly dedicated to the participant experience and are passionate about health, running, and supporting the greater community,” said La Sala. “It is an incredible privilege to be involved with the Big Sur Marathon Foundation’s events and I look forward to our continued partnership.”

The relationship between the Big Sur Marathon Foundation and Blistering Pace Race Management has been a strong and successful one. Throughout their involvement, BPRM has fortified the relationships between the event and the long list of public agencies vital to the success of the marathon, organized and improved the safety and security programs, continued with effective marketing campaigns and communications yielding sell out registration numbers, and have increased sponsorship and partner involvement.

“The Big Sur International Marathon is among the most memorable, but also the most complex in the world. Blistering Pace Race Management has continuously showcased their ability to serve our participants with the experience of a lifetime while producing organized, efficient, safe events” said Dino Pick, Board Chair for the Big Sur Marathon Foundation. “We couldn’t be more thrilled to have Michelle now serve as our Race Director and have the entire Blistering Pace team behind her.”

The Big Sur Marathon Foundation’s mission is to create beautiful running events that promote health and benefit our community. “Our races are the core of the Big Sur Marathon Foundation,” Pick added. “We now also have youth running programs that benefit our communities. As we evolve and expand as a running organization, we rely on Blistering Pace’s great race management services to stage world-class events.”

About the Big Sur Marathon Foundation

The Big Sur Marathon Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to create beautiful running events that promote health and benefit the community. Under the brand are two individual race weekends: Big Sur International Marathon in April and the Monterey Bay Half Marathon, 5K and 3K in November. www.bsim.org #bigsurmarathon

About Blistering Pace Race Management

Founded in 2016, BPRM works in a variety of race management capacities, ranging from staffing to full operational oversight. Other clients include the Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon and Half Marathon, Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon (10K & 5K), Chicago Event Management, and the New York Road Runners. For more information, visit www.blisteringpace.com

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Media Contact

Mimi Hahn
Email: mimi@bsim.org