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Fasil Bizuneh was one of the athletes who was supported by the Big Sur Distance Project.
[Content provided by Mike Dove.]
The Big Sur International Marathon Board of Directors is currently investigating ways that the BSIM, under their budget constraints, can continue to support elite and potential elite athletes. The BSIM has a great training environment already in place, on the California Central Coast, which supported the Big Sur Distance Project and the BSIM would like to continue supporting U.S. distance running.
The BSIM is currently getting the word out informally to see if any elite athletes, or athletes who think they have elite potential, would be interested in moving to and living in the Monterey, California area, based on the scenario provided below. Potential candidates would be post-collegiate males and females, ages 22-27, who have obtained or are reasonably close to obtaining the USATF qualifying standards.
Interested athletes should e-mail Mike Dove at mnjdove@aol.com with a running and employment resume, a current coach’s recommendation, contact information, and dates when they would be available to move to Monterey. The BSIM will collect this information until the end of October, and a decision about the future of the program will not be made until then.
Under the Big Sur International Marathon’s proposal, athletes would receive:
1. Opportunity to train with an elite level group of runners in a nearly-perfect-all-year training environment on the Monterey Peninsula of California.
2. Coaching by Mark Conover, current Coach at Cal Poly. Mark is an Olympian, a six-time Big West Cross Country Coach of the Year, and an NCAA Regional Cross Country Coach of the Year. Conover is based two hours south of Monterey, but would visit occasionally. Most coaching would be via e-mail and phone.
3. The Marathon organization would provide shoes, uniform, warm-ups, etc.
4. Free (in most routine cases) medical support team including doctors, dental hygienist, physical therapy, chiropractic, and acupuncture.
5. Because of the marathon's relationship with the local university, California State University at Monterey Bay (CSUMB), athletes would pay for housing at approximately 40% less than the market rate on the Monterey Peninsula (where housing is expensive). Two-bedroom, one-bath unfurnished houses at CSUMB currently rent for $1,055 a month. This includes water, garbage, sewer, cable, and high speed internet. Gas and Electric is extra and typically runs from $35 to $100 a month depending on usage. In the past, three athletes have shared one house.
6. CSUMB would provide free access to the recreation center, weight room, and pool. Parking passes, which cost $53 per quarter, are required at the university for university lots.
7. Local runners and business people will provide assistance in helping athletes find full-time and part-time flexible professional employment.
8. Olympians Linda Somers Smith and Maria Trujillo, former elite runner Jay Marden, and former Chinese national team member and current cross country coach at CSUMB Yi Mao, will all provide advice/counseling, etc. via e-mail and in person.
9. If the BSIM acquires additional corporate sponsorship or financial support they would hope to provide a full service training center with additional housing money, travel assistance, and athlete stipends. The athletes would be involved in this decision. There is absolutely no guarantee that the BSIM will obtain additional support, but they would make efforts to do so.
Posted by Alison Wade at 2:58 p.m. | Tags: Elite Development