The biggest cheers at Big Sur Marathon came in a surprising place. Plus: an incredible mustache.

After the 30th running of the bucket-list Big Sur International Marathon, the biggest roar did not come with the coronation of Monterey's Adam Roach (below) as champ, even as he won his third in four years, with a tidy 2 hours, 30 minute and 48 second time.

It didn't come for defending champ Michael Wardian of Arlington, Virginia, even though he completed his second marathon in less than a week, contended with Roach for the overall title, clocked in at 2:33:04 and, at 41, was both the Masters Division winner and Boston2BigSur top dog for the second year in a row.

It came, oddly enough, with the announcement of third-place mixed relay team. 

Marcos Ortega, Lacey Sutton, Shelby Hawthorne and Cyrus Bell (in the same order they ran in)—aka Team Apple Pie—are good-looking folk and nice enough people too, but that wouldn't explain the roar as they were announced on stage.

They really got the boom in volume because they participated in Relay for Rachael, which gathered 20 different racers on five different teams.

The largely Big Sur-based Relay for Rachael group was toasting a record-setting fundraising year and successful completion of the race for each of the teams with bagels and mimosas when the surprise announcement came.

The loud South Coast cry followed.

Treadmill donated brand new running shoes for each member of the running team.

Team Apple Pie seemed to savor beating friendly rival Team Pfeiffer Ridge as much as the new sneaks.

Pfeiffer Ridge—namely Kendra Morgenrath, Lyra Ordjonikidze, Ryan Webster and Aengus Wagner—can point to its top fundraising work, having pulled in more than $7,000 for both Rachael Short's inspiring rehabilitation after a catastrophic car accident and Southwest Catastrophic Injury Fund.

The effort included a full marathon from local photographer and Pfeiffer Ridge resident Kodiak Greenwood.

He lost his home and much of his archives to the Pfeiffer Fire but his relationship with fellow photographer Short and love for the untamed wilds of Big Sur kept his perspective through it all.

He admitted to hitting the wall late in the race, but another Big Sur relationship gave him a little kick. 

He spotted fellow Big Sur crazies Danielle and Matt Glazer hiking back from their nine-miler in Point Lobos and parts adjacent and let out a "Chupacabra" call known to locals for the group of guys who use the name and the noise.

Their wild cheers in response sent Greenwood on a furious last-mile finishing kick that had other runners murmuring, "Nice push."

Same could be said for the 2015 effort, which met the ambitious $30,000 goal, an all-time high.

The Weekly fielded a Relay for Rachael team, and though member David Schmalz suffered a back injury that knocked him from the race, he committed what he could to the cause, attending the raucous Friday night fundraising dinner at Carmel's American Legion and donating his months-long beard.

The winner of the pre-dinner #shavedave raffle got to pick how his facial hair tuneup would be styled.

The decision from Weekly deputy digital media manager Bobby Messenger: "19th century oil baron mustache."

Schmalz put his facial hair in the hands of Phill Benson, barber and proprietor at Phill's Barber Shop in Pacific Grove. 

Here's the before:

And the after:

Seems the marathon can be a transformative experience even for those who don't run in it.

That's certainly the case for the 2,000 volunteers whose agencies receive funding as a thank you for the manpower distributing things like bananas and Gatorade.

Organizers report the popularity of the event has grown so much that the 2016 race registration will happen via a lottery this summer.

For details on the lottery, as well as race results, visit the Big Sur International Marathon website. 

More photos from the race appear above right as well.