The California International Marathon (CIM) is a marathon organized by runners, for runners! CIM was founded in 1983 by the Sacramento Running Association (SRA), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The point-to-point, net-downhill course has remained unchanged for 41 years, starting from Folsom’s scenic foothills and ending at the historical California State …
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The California International Marathon (CIM) is a marathon organized by runners, for runners! CIM was founded in 1983 by the Sacramento Running Association (SRA), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
The point-to-point, net-downhill course has remained unchanged for 41 years, starting from Folsom’s scenic foothills and ending at the historical California State Capitol. CIM has provided over 100,000 runners of all speeds–from first-timers to the fastest of the fast–the best chance to achieve their marathon goals.
The same route SRA management created for the 1983 inaugural CIM will take you through rural countryside, then through the towns of Orangevale, Citrus Heights, Fair Oaks and Carmichael and finally, under a canopy of trees in full fall colors, into the city of Sacramento for the State Capitol finish. Even though the course has remained the same, the race has grown into a true international event.
The CIM is certified and sanctioned by USATF and is a Boston Marathon and US Olympic Trials Marathon qualifier.
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Not ultra glamorous, but well organized
That’s all there is to it. The course is much more rolling than you’d expect given its fast reputation. Lots of hills, even if it’s net downhill. MORE
That’s all there is to it. The course is much more rolling than you’d expect given its fast reputation. Lots of hills, even if it’s net downhill.
Beautiful day, great support and PR
The California International Marathon (CIM) is a race you simply must experience, especially if you’re eager to witness the beauty of California. Yes, the course begins with some rolling hills … MORE
The California International Marathon (CIM) is a race you simply must experience, especially if you’re eager to witness the beauty of California. Yes, the course begins with some rolling hills for the first 12 miles, but what follows is a blissfully flat journey that allows you to really find your stride. I cherished every moment (and ran it with my daughterfor her first ever marathon this time), from the mild 42°F at the starting line to a comfortable 65°F by the afternoon—perfect running weather!
The finish line experience was top-notch, complete with fantastic swag and unwavering support from enthusiastic fans. As a Sacramento local, I revel in the opportunity to spot familiar faces both on the sidelines and among the runners. It feels like the whole town comes out to support and celebrate.
CIM is not just a race; it’s a showcase of my beautiful hometown during the mild California winter. For anyone who hasn’t had the pleasure of visiting Sacramento, let this marathon be your introduction. Whether you’re a seasoned marathoner or looking to tackle your first 26.2, CIM is the event to add to your list.
CIM lives up to the hype (runner's race)
CIM lived up to my expectations-- challenging (from it's rolling hills) and from it being a runner's race (great vibe, energy, and swag). Buses to start line were organized, plenty … MORE
CIM lived up to my expectations– challenging (from it’s rolling hills) and from it being a runner’s race (great vibe, energy, and swag). Buses to start line were organized, plenty of port-o-potties, strong crowd support, lots of pace groups, and finish line area was fun. Sacramento is sneaky fun too (plenty of eats and breweries). I look forward to running CIM again!
Great Race
This was a great race and well put together. The expo was easy to find and navigate through and I got to meet two of my running heros, Deena Kastor … MORE
This was a great race and well put together. The expo was easy to find and navigate through and I got to meet two of my running heros, Deena Kastor and Tina Muir. The course was not as easy as I had been led to believe, however, I was able to finish. The medal is my all time favorite, and I have quite a bit of them. It was also the 40th running of this marathon so finishers got extra swag which was nice. I do recommend this race.
EPIC RACE - must do
This is an epic race with some really fast runners who will inspire you and pull you along. Be prepared for ALOT of rolling hills some bigger than you expect. … MORE
This is an epic race with some really fast runners who will inspire you and pull you along. Be prepared for ALOT of rolling hills some bigger than you expect. This is truly a bucket list race – register early!
Cool Capital run
This race was very flat and fast. The expo was very well organized and even offered free posters. There was also an official asics shop which was cool. Beginning on … MORE
This race was very flat and fast. The expo was very well organized and even offered free posters. There was also an official asics shop which was cool. Beginning on race morning it was an early start as you were required to take a shuttle to the start line leaving at 5:30. Plan accordingly as all shuttles leave at different times depending on where you are staying. The bus arrives very early, so I just hung out in the bus for almost an hour. The race start started 15 minutes late for no apparent reason. Race weather was ideal right now and topped out at about 55 degrees. The finish line offered the most I’ve seen which invluded a bottle, backpack, jacket and gorgeous medal. Also plenty of food such as oatmeal, nutrition bars and a burrito. Overall would recommend.
Pretty cool
I ran the 40th anniversary for this marathon and thought I was going to be disappointed as much as the 40th for Twin Cities, but I was surprised and happy! … MORE
I ran the 40th anniversary for this marathon and thought I was going to be disappointed as much as the 40th for Twin Cities, but I was surprised and happy!
The bus line for 10,000 runners broken up in four spots was nice since the convention center line went by super quick. I got there two hours early and they let us sit on the bus to keep warm. I wouldn’t wait thirty minutes before the race start to use the restroom though.
Race course is mostly residential and winding hills, which kept my legs awake and my mind focused on the road. It never got boring since at every stretch there are loads of runners next to you no matter how fast or slow you are. Loads of aid stations at nearly every mile and lots of volunteers too. I almost PRed and beat my previous PR for a state Capitol marathon by 45 sec. I started with the 3:45 pacer and finished nearly 20 minutes faster in the end thanks to the runners and the crowd!
I was surprised at the amount of swag and food at the finish. One guy was like I wish I didn’t buy so much at the expo! We all got water bottles, backpacks, and finisher jackets with the 40th anniversary printed. They were all very stylish too, so I was very happy I ran this race and they actually cared about their finishers with their sponsors!
I stayed at the Citizen hotel two blocks away from the finish and manage to swing the $50 valet parking over to the city hall parking ramp down the street for like $5.
NOT Downhill! Rolling Hills!
This race is extensively advertised as downhill and acts like this is the perfect course for a BQ and/or PR. The first half of the race was definitely rolling hills, … MORE
This race is extensively advertised as downhill and acts like this is the perfect course for a BQ and/or PR. The first half of the race was definitely rolling hills, especially since there was a gradual uphill climb around mile 10. The second half of the course is relatively flat.
The weather was 100% perfect! It wasn’t humid, hot, rainy, cloudy, etc. I wish there were more crowd support in the beginning, but tons of more people come out in the second half of the race. Additionally, there are tons of alcohol stops! I believe I stopped 6-7 times for various shots, so I had fun! If alcohol isn’t your thing, then tons of spectators had food such as beignets, doughnuts, and candy.
Finishers received a backpack, a jacket, oatmeal, a burrito, yogurt, and beer! Definitely one of the biggest post-race hauls offered!
I recommend this course if you want a solid December or California marathon.
Good fast course
Plenty of toilets in the start corrals First 6 miles is downhill then you have a decent climb at 10K before heading downhill again. Just before the half the course … MORE
Plenty of toilets in the start corrals
First 6 miles is downhill then you have a decent climb at 10K before heading downhill again. Just before the half the course flattens out through the outskirts of town.
First time experience
This is my first time running the marathon. The transportation was very clear and convenient. The weather was very cold, just slightly above freezing point. It was raining slightly from … MORE
This is my first time running the marathon. The transportation was very clear and convenient. The weather was very cold, just slightly above freezing point. It was raining slightly from time to time. Once on the run, there were not much of up or down hills. The views were beautiful as the race go across the rural area into the city. There were a huge group of cheering people keep the energy high.
Flat, fast course; long lines for bus
There was a long wait to get on the bus at the Capitol. I was there before 5 am but I was not on a bus until 45 minutes later. … MORE
There was a long wait to get on the bus at the Capitol. I was there before 5 am but I was not on a bus until 45 minutes later. The bus got to the starting location at 6:30 am (30 minutes before the start). Fortunately, there were plenty of toilets, so the wait was short and I was able to get to the starting line a few minutes before the race started. The course was fast with very few turns…a couple of hills in the first half, but the course was mostly flat or downhill. The aid stations were every 2 miles and were well organized. Beer and burritos were served at the finish.
Great Production but Not Best if >6hr
I wanted to visit Northern California this year and had decided on CIM since it was held on my birthday this year. I signed up early last winter at the … MORE
I wanted to visit Northern California this year and had decided on CIM since it was held on my birthday this year. I signed up early last winter at the end of January after recovering from my stress fracture on my foot expecting to have about 10 months to train but then I ended up reinjuring it in May and had to take another 5 weeks off in June/July and I was not able to train as expected. This race has a 6 hour stated time limit. Normally I can run a marathon under 6 hours but knew that this year I probably couldn’t. However I looked at past results and saw there were plenty of finishing times over 6 hours so I decided to risk it. The good news is even though I did finish over 6 hours they kept the finish line open and I got an official time but it definitely affected my experience the last few miles as they shut some things down. Overall this is a great race and one of (if not the best) produced race I have run but I would only strongly recommend it if you can finish under 6 hours. For the race I flew into Seattle the week before and drove down. I also visited Portland and San Francisco on my trip. The race limits itself to about 10,000 participants which is perfect but it does sell out by early fall so if you really want to do it don’t wait until the last minute to register. For the race either the host hotels were sold out or really expensive so I stayed at the Holiday Inn Downtown. It was about 3/4 mile from the finish line. The expo is Friday and Saturday. I drove in Saturday and found parking in a garage that was only about $5. Expo was a little smaller than I was expecting but was pretty efficient for the number of runners and also had lots of running stuff to buy but not much free samples. Bib pick-up had a short line but it moved fast. The shirt is tech and I really like the design but it is white which isn’t my favorite color. I also bought some Gu gummies with electrolytes in case the race ran out since I knew I may be past the cutoff time. Since the course is point to point there are multiple options to get to the start. I just took the shuttle from the finish line. I walked there from my hotel. Since the race utilizes the main road from Folsom where it starts to Sacramento you drive up side streets and it took about an hour. They tell you to take the shuttle at 5am. I left a little earlier around 4:45 which I thought would mean I would have to wait a lot but it ended up timing perfectly. They brag about their porta potty to runner ratio and while there were lines they were must shorter than most races this size. The start corral has runners line up by pace and it moves pretty fast. It starts at 7 and I was near the end and started by around 7:15. I was worried the race would be crowded by it is all on very wide streets that are completely closed so there is a ton of space. I was happy they had 6 hour pacers since I knew that was the fastest minimum I could do and I decided to stick with the 6 hour pacers for as long as I could. Weather for the day predicted rain but it was perfect weather for most of the race until around noon so all the fast runners avoided it. The scenery is probably the weakest part of the course. I wouldn’t say it is terrible scenery but it’s mostly just suburbs outside Sacramento. There are pockets of spectators but also some longer stretches without spectators while in the suburbs. Aid stations were plentiful about every 1 to 2 miles and as efficient as possible for a race this size. They all had water and Nuun and every 6 miles had Gu gels in multiple flavors. There were also plenty of porta potties with little to no lines. The course is net downhill and is relatively fast but it is rolling hills and there are also a lot of uphills. The hills get a bit annoying but for every uphill there is a longer downhill. It is definitely a course you could PR or BQ on but if that is your primary goal you definitely need to hill train. If you are just running it for fun or as a 50 stater and not too worried about a specific time the hills are not difficult enough to need to do specific training for. I was happy I was able to keep up with the 6 hour pacers until about mile 18 and was really enjoying the race up until then. I hit a wall at mile 18 and slowed my pace but was still able to run-walk a bit and not slow down too much. Then I started to really have trouble at mile 20 and then it started raining and I got a large blister and had to walk most of the final 6 miles. At an aid station around mile 20 or 21 the “sweeper” team passed me. I asked them what this meant and they were very nice reassured me I could finish the race and would get a finishing time but there may not be course support and I may be moved to the side walk and said I should fill my water bottle. I made sure I filled my water bottle to the top at the aid stations. As soon as the sweepers passed a truck came and started packing up the aid station and also packed up the upcoming mile markers. Prior to the sweeper team every aid station I passed was completely well stocked even though I was running close to the sweepers so there would be absolutely no issues with support if you can make 6 hours. After the sweepers passed all the aid stations were gone or packing up and all the mile markers were gone as well. However they did leave the road closed and I was never forced to go to the sidewalk and they did keep the mile 26 marker up. One thing I really appreciated is even though some of the course support was removed even after I was passed by the “sweepers” there were still a lot of spectators cheering us on in the rain as we slowpokes trudged and mostly walked along. I am so thankful for those spectators and not sure I could have completed the race without them. As I said they did keep the finish line open and even though I was passed the time limit I got an official time and a medal. I love the medal. It is not a big, gawdy medal but has a bear and is inspired by the California state flag and is a great California medal. The finish area seemed pretty empty and packed up which was disappointing but I knew this would likely happen and I can’t fault the race since they did have a 6 hour limit and I’m glad they let me finish. I also didn’t have much time after since I was going to a Sacramento Kings Game at 3pm. My initial plan was to walk back (the Kings arena is next to the Holiday Inn) but I was in too much pain so took an uber. Of note it took forever to get an uber due to road closures. I am not complaining as I was very happy they kept the roads close for the longer finishers but if you do have plans in downtown Sacramento or need to catch a flight right after the race you should plan for some delays due to road closures. Overall this was one of the best produced races I have done and could be a fast course with the right training. I would highly recommend it if you know you can finish under 6 hours. If you regularly run marathons over 6 hours there are more turtle friendly ones in CA that I would recommend over this (LA, Long Beach and OC). However even with the last few miles of the race being less supported I still had a good time and enjoyed the race so if you do really want to do the race (or if you are in my position and signed up but couldn’t train as well due to injury) and you think there is a chance you may be over 6 hours you should still sign up for it just make sure you bring a water bottle and some extra nutrition and understand there may not be course support the last few miles.
Great race, but lots of hills!
Although this course is technically "net downhill," the net is only about 300 feet -- my Strava recorded that I ascended about 1900 feet, so it's not as easy as … MORE
Although this course is technically “net downhill,” the net is only about 300 feet — my Strava recorded that I ascended about 1900 feet, so it’s not as easy as I thought it’d be. I even trained on hills in San Francisco and thought this was a pretty difficult course, especially compared to flat races like Berlin or Chicago. Kind of surprised how many people end up getting personal bests here!
But it’s an extremely organized race (lots of aid stations and porta potties) and I loved running on the wide open roads! Probably the most well planned race outside of my two favorites of NYC and Chicago.
Get me to the start on time
I had heard that CIM was the possibly best organized marathon anywhere. Two years in a row I trained for CIM and could not run, this was my third attempt, … MORE
I had heard that CIM was the possibly best organized marathon anywhere.
Two years in a row I trained for CIM and could not run, this was my third attempt, and nothing was going to stop me. My life is littered with disappointments because I tend to dive into everything with optimism and give it all I have got, I said the same thing the first year I trained for CIM, then I got injured during training, but I came anyway to cheer and support my partner and my brother and then last year, after a very promising lead-in, I got Covid a week before the race.
After running CIM two years ago, my brother had only good things to say about it and my experience as an observer was that this was a marathon for marathoners.
So, what happened this year could not have been more of a surprise of misplaced high expectations. Because they ask everyone who registers to fill out a survey about which bus they will take, as you must take their transportation to the start, and no one is allowed to get there except on the busses they provide, I assumed that they had a handle on getting us to to start. We were there at 5:15 when they said, and there were zero busses, and a maaaaaaaaaasssive line that disappeared into the darkness.
After standing there, with no access to restrooms for 25 minutes with the line around the block and no busses, someone yelled out of the darkness that busses would be there in twenty minutes, but this word mean that there would barely be enough time to go the restroom and then get to the start, I need to use it now, and I was getting so stressed, this was not at all what I expected.
I had trained months and months, very hard for this race and had high hopes for running a fast race, but as morning ticked away and no bus arrived I could feel the anxiety rising and it felt like the energy was draining from my body and the excitement was turning into stress and worry and I could feel this tight knot forming in my throat.
I found a place to at least go pee between a car and a bush along the edge of the parking lot, and then rejoined the line. Runners were huddled on the curb speculating about whether we would get there in time. Someone who had ran it before said that even with the fact that CIM has more restrooms than other races, if we all arrived with just minutes to spare before the race, there would be no way we could all get into the restroom before the start.
It was a long anxious thirty minutes before busses arrived and were finally heading towards the start.
The bus arrived and someone jumped on to give us a hurried welcome to the start, it would have been nice if they had mentioned that the start had been delayed, so that we knew that we had ten more minutes, so we scrambled to get in line for the restroom, but that ten minutes was gone in a flash and I was still in line. From inside the porta potty I could hear the national anthem, my stomach was a mess of stress-fatigue and frustration.
When I usually would have been able to go to bathroom twice, and adjust my shoes a few times, do a light warm up, some breathing exercises and light stretching, and then find my coral and chat with other runners, all that time was spent worrying and waiting for the bus with no restroom, and this anxious feeling like we might not make it to the start. A cloud of anxiety pervaded the entire pre-race experience.
That stress and anxiety combined with an inability to do the basic stuff I usually do before a race, like just getting into the headspace of finally running this race I had trained so diligently for, threw me off. Even though I trained at altitude my heart rate was higher just trying to get through the crowds to my corral.
Maybe because I was not at all ready when the race started, but my heart spiked into max zone as soon as I started running, and with that spike in heart rate came this wave of fatigue and exhaustion, half a mile in and I just wanted to collapse in a heap on the side of the road.
With my heart rate out of control and the onset of what felt like a sudden case of chronic fatigue syndrome, the course which is objectively so much easier than anything I had trained on in 7000 foot elevation, but CIM’s rolling hills felt like mountains and my body felt like lead.
The chaos of the start meant that I was separated from my brother, I had hoped so much that we could run together, or just cross paths during the race, but as my top three goals slipped away from me, all I could do was rely on my years of mental toughness to keep going.
The CIM Marathon was a low point in my running, at least I had all those long training runs that I had enjoyed, because I just felt down and done with this race from the first mile to the last.
CIM 2023 was my third marathon this year and it was my slowest, but the toughest to finish. Not hitting any of my time goals was the last thing I expected from this Marathon that promotes itself as the marathon for those who want to PR.
What a slog, in some part of me I am still there, drenched in exhaustion, telling myself that “this too shall pass”.
I think I finished this marathon because, despite how bad I felt, I focused on what was going well. On my massive base of training at altitude, on the water stations which were super well organized, they held the cups in a way that made it easy to grab, all the people out there cheering were what kept me going, the comments about my purple shirt, yellow socks and rainbow hat, and there was some really great music along the way, as a musician, I can be a little bit picky, but every band, every solo artist was like dopamine for my ears, I could not have gotten through it without them, and yet CIM is not an experience that I want to remember.
It really taught me, that how I start something really sets the tone for the whole experience. Looking around I could see how many people were struggling, who also did not know if they could keep going, and I said to myself we are in this together.
At the expo, the day before signs said we would get a finisher’s medal and a backpack, and jacket, it said we would get these extras becase it is the 40th anniversary of CIM.
Years later, or at least after I felt like I had aged ten years, I crossed the finish line. Completely spent, and then in deep energy debt, I grimaced as I tried to thank the spectators, but all I wanted was something to drink and to see my brother.
Immediately I was confronted with tables where they were handing out the finisher medals so I waited to get a finisher medal, OMG just finishing this was one of the great accomplishments of my life, but then first thing they said is that I had to choose between a medal or a backpack… what! I tried to decide but my brain was too foggy, then I started to feel dizzy, and I was so out of it that I could not make a decision, I walk down to the end of the table and just stood there. A volunteer, who saw me frozen and frustrated, approached, and said, “this is stupid! I don’t care if I get in trouble” and handed me a medal and a backpack. Later CIM sent out an apology, twill sort of, they did not acknowledge that last thing you want to have to do after crossing the finish line of a marathon is to be required to choose if y want a medal or not, it takes something that is just supposed to be a fun perk, and makes it into a source of decision fatigue.
I went a bit further down the finish chute to get water and they handed me a nice reusable bottle, but it had barely a mouthful of water in it, and I thought this must be a mistake so I asked for a bottle with water in it.
I was so thirsty and it was a warmer than usual day. To my absolute shock and dismay said “no” to my request for more water and told me to fill it up myself, but I could not figure out where to fill it.
I wondered around in a daze looking for where to get more water, I even walked back and tried to get their attention again, but they ignored me.
Eventually there was a water dispenser but it was EMPTY!!! I kid you not, this was like a bad dream. Then I saw another one but it was another one but it was LOCKED, you can’t make this stuff up. For a while I just stood there in disbelief. I felt so confused, I just wanted a drink, preferable with electrolytes.
Then I remembered that when I was there before there were these Noon hydration trucks that my brother was raving about, where you could fill your bottle with Noon electrolyte drink. I searched around, but the trucks were not there, and I went through the crowds, they had oatmeal but I was too thirsty for that, and then my brother appeared like a ray of sunshine, he had finished ahead of me.
He was having scary cramps, maybe the worst I have seen, his legs were visibly twitching and rippling and he was having a lot of difficulty walking.
He told me where to find the Noon water, but when I found it they said that we were only allowed two small Dixie cups per person, that just felt cruel, quenching my thirst was like running another marathon, but there was no finish line in sight.
After sitting down on a bench, my brother’s cramps were like aliens had got into his legs, he thought it was because of dehydration and stumbled off in search of something to drink.
He first went to the info tent to tell them that the water dispenser was still empty, by then his cramps were worse so he went to the medical tent, who sent him away but when he started falling down they relented and gave him two bottles of electrolyte drink, and then his cramps went away.
I never thought I would have to say this, but running out of water and telling marathoners that they were not allowed to fill their bottles is a cruel policy that even the most corporate of marathons should be ashamed of, and it is something I would never have dreamed of from CIM.
Getting me to the start and providing hydration at the finish are just baseline necessities, and CIM failed miserably on those.
I asked around and other folks did not have issues with transportation to the start, but I finished in the first 2000 people and already they had run out of water, with 8000 people still yet to finish, that feels like negligent incompetence.
Not being able to get to the start in time, after training and planning for months, and in my case years, and traveling long distances to be here, to have that be messed up was just a miserable slap in the face.
The stress and anxiety of my pre-race experience played a significant part in making this race exhausting and mentally taxing.
Even though races usually bring out a childlike excitement in me, all I felt was tired and stressed at CIM.
The tone of my first CIM was anxious and unsupported in just getting through my race morning without undue stress and getting hydration at the end.
The fact that my brother had to go to get medical attention before they gave him adequate hydration is mind boggling.
I have bought Noon for years of training, sometimes by the case, but I will never forget the feeling, after running a marathon and bing told that two small Dixie cups was all I was allowed.
The bus back to our motel was painfully slow, it did not help that I was thirsty and just wanted to get this experience behind me. After an hour we were back back to the place we had waited in the dark that morning. We limped to our hotel and turned on a tap, ahhh, water. Oh CIM Marathon, WTF was that!
EPIC RACE
This race draws some of the best US Marathon racers as it was the USATF Marathon championship. So fun to be able to talk to US's elite marathon racers before … MORE
This race draws some of the best US Marathon racers as it was the USATF Marathon championship. So fun to be able to talk to US’s elite marathon racers before and after the race. The course has rolling hills for the first 20 miles and is essentially flat for the last 10K. Ends right in front of the California State Capitol Building (very cool). This race was such a great event I singed up for 2023 right away. Can’t wait to do it again next year!
Great fast race in Sacramento
This race was an excellent one if you'd like to break a personal record in the marathon. You can tell it is organized by runners, for runners. Everything from the … MORE
This race was an excellent one if you’d like to break a personal record in the marathon. You can tell it is organized by runners, for runners. Everything from the website to the bus shuttles to the course mile markers are geared to helping you run your best. The scenery is not the best, as you just go through suburban Sacramento, but it is a fast downhill course with sufficient aid stations, lots of quality runners, and a fun finish at the Capitol. I think it’s the best race on the West Coast for a fall marathon, especially if you want to run a fast time, and I plan to run it multiple times. My only caveat is to be careful to not go too fast in the first half. Although it’s downhill, the rolling hills in the first half can beat up your legs if you go out too fast so be conservative in the first half of the race to take advantage of the flat last 6 miles.
Welcome back CIM
This race is amazing! This was my second time running the marathon. We’ll organized, great crowd support and the net downhill with the hills sprinkled in is PR friendly. MORE
This race is amazing! This was my second time running the marathon. We’ll organized, great crowd support and the net downhill with the hills sprinkled in is PR friendly.
Great support, race logistics need work
This was my first marathon, and I overall had a great experience. Sacramento really showed up in terms of crowd support and that made a big difference to my morale … MORE
This was my first marathon, and I overall had a great experience. Sacramento really showed up in terms of crowd support and that made a big difference to my morale and ability to perform. The race starts in more rural and suburban neighborhoods; given this I had expected less spectators until the downtown area in the last 10k, but I was thrilled to pass so many families with dogs, fun signs, speakers blasting feel good tunes, and offerings of water bottles and candy. The people offering tissues were also a lifesaver, and throughout the course there were several live music ensembles.
It is not the most scenic route, but I loved the number of trees and the weather was ideal (starting in mid-upper 40s, ending in mid-50s), with fog in the morning, and cloudy skies throughout. There are gently rolling hills for much of the race, the last one being up and over a bridge in mile 21. I made a deliberate effort to incorporate hills into my training, and in the race I found that the uphills were generally not at all steep, and the speed and recovery I regained on the long downhill portions more than made up for the ups. Then I was able to push my speed most in the final 10K, which was generally flat (aside from that bridge).
My main complaint and reason for docking a star has to do with some organizational logistics. I stayed at a race partner hotel (DoubleTree Hilton in Point West) and signed up online in October to take a bus from that location “B”. Buses were scheduled to leave the hotel at 5am on race day. I arrived at the lobby at 4:50am to find the two buses out front were already full, with easily another 100 runners still in the lobby. The bus drivers and volunteers were uncertain if more buses would be coming. Around 5:20am another bus came, and I made it on that one, but I’m not sure how long the final group of runners at the hotel had to wait. No one was checking to see who had actually signed up to take these buses. I read past CIM reviews mentioning issues with buses, so it’s disappointing to see this seems to be a recurring issue each year. I will say the return bus ride to the hotel after the race went smoothly.
After I finished the race, I was disappointed to find they had run out of bananas and other pre-packaged snacks. I am not a particularly fast runner and this was my first marathon (goal time was <5:00, I actually outperformed my expectations by a lot with a 4:39:04 finish) but I still think a race with a 6 hour time limit should not be running out of these things with over an hour left still. There were hot burritos available past the immediate finish line area, but my stomach was not ready for something so heavy.
Other than those two grievances though, this was a fantastic race! The crowd support was wonderful, I love the shirt and medal, and I would run CIM again.
Amazing Race
Perfect amount of aid stations, but of a fight to hit the aid as there is lots of people on the course - don’t go out to hard even though … MORE
Perfect amount of aid stations, but of a fight to hit the aid as there is lots of people on the course – don’t go out to hard even though it feels amazing, the rolling hills in the first half will eat your legs alive…course weather is near perfect, not too hot but not cold at all, small most on race day that was quite refreshing…really had a great time. Finish line and post race nutrition is perfect.
Nice race
(i copied most of this review from last year's review .) The weather forecasts said it was going to rain, with a possibility of lightning. Fortunately it did not do … MORE
(i copied most of this review from last year’s review .) The weather forecasts said it was going to rain, with a possibility of lightning. Fortunately it did not do so, and the temperature at the start ended up being much better than last year (about 54 degrees vs 36 degrees.)
The course starts downhill, and then there are multiple rolling hills, none of which are too bad in itself, but the sheer number of them was annoying. (Note: I live in a very flat city, so I don’t get a chance to do any hill training.) The course is fairly flat after about mile 19 or 20.
There were tons of aid stations, and they did not run out of water even of back-of-the-pack people like me.