Big Sur Marathon 2023 lottery

CARMEL — With the return of the Monterey Bay Half Marathon following a two-year hiatus just a couple of months off, the Big Sur Marathon Foundation has named Josh Priester as its new executive director/race director.

The 36-year-old will take the reins from Doug Thurston, who retired earlier this year after a decade-long tenure of running the Big Sur International Marathon and the Monterey Bay Half Marathon, which is slated to return Nov. 13.

“In the big panel interview, so many generations of people were involved,” Priester said. “Even in a Zoom meeting, I could feel the energy and passion. It attracted me to the role. I like being a part of things like that.”

Priester will also be in charge of the organization’s youth fitness programs like Just Run after the pandemic canceled them the past two years and the a state-of-the-art cross-country course at Palo Corona, which is getting its finishing touches and slated to host its first college meet on Sept. 17.

Priester has a background that includes sports management, coaching and business development, having founded the Santa Barbara Track Club in 2012, where he was the executive director and head coach.

“We started with one athlete,” said Priester, a former college decathlete. “In 10 years, we put an athlete in the Olympics in Rio and Tokyo — and had 38 athletes finish in the top 10 at national events. It’s a passion of mine.”

Part of Priester’s responsibilities for the Big Sur Marathon Foundation will include furthering the nonprofit organization’s mission to create events and promote health, instruct strategic and financial goals and manage the nonprofit’s local initiatives.

“We did a lot of fundraising for the track program,” Priester said. “We created an organization that could support these athletes. I had my run. It’s time for a new chapter in my life. What attracted me to this is it does such a great job in the region.”

Priester was a unanimous selection by the Big Sur Marathon Foundation, according to foundation board Chair Dino Pick, who said in a statement that “Josh Priester is the right leader to take our organization to a very bright future.”

“Change is always a challenge,” Priester said. “I want to hit the ground running. The biggest thing I can’t stress enough is how much it means to me to be doing this and building solid relationships. That’s what I care about.”

Priester’s résumé includes being as a three-time member of the Team USA track and field coaching staff, and the associate director of track and field at UC Santa Barbara. He has a master’s degree in sports management.

The Big Sur Marathon Foundation has distributed more than $5 million to local nonprofits since 1986, with over 2,000 volunteers from throughout the community.

“My job is to meet with people, learn who they are and create relationships in the community and do a lot of listening,” said Priester, who is married. “That will be critical going forward.”

John Devine can be reached at 831-726-4337.