Men’s course record
2:07:35
Tsegay Weldlibanos · 2024
- Average pace
- 3:01 / km
- Terrain-adjusted
- −0.88 %
California International Marathon
Sacramento, USA The Sunday nearest 5 December, 6 December in 2026 Founded 1983
Point to point from Folsom Dam to the State Capitol in December, rolling for the first half and nearly level for the last eight kilometres.
Overview
The race starts at 7:00am on Folsom-Auburn Road, below the dam that holds back Folsom Lake, and finishes on Capitol Mall in downtown Sacramento. After six miles through Orangevale it joins one long road. Fair Oaks Boulevard carries it for about 25.0 km through Fair Oaks, Carmichael and Arden-Arcade, before it crosses the American River on the H Street Bridge and runs into town on J and L Streets.
Most of the climbing comes in the first half, on rollers through the suburbs, and the last 7.5 km are close to level. The finish is 104 m below the start, well inside the B.A.A.'s downhill limit, and about 30 % of the 2025 finishers ran a Boston time.
You'll need to be quick to get in, too. The 2026 field sold out, and 8,176 finished in 2025.
Most of the climbing comes in the first half, on rollers through the suburbs, and the last 7.5 km are close to level. The finish is 104 m below the start, well inside the B.A.A.'s downhill limit, and about 30 % of the 2025 finishers ran a Boston time.
You'll need to be quick to get in, too. The 2026 field sold out, and 8,176 finished in 2025.
- When
- The 2026 California International Marathon is on Sunday, 6 December 2026, starting at 7:00am local time on Folsom-Auburn Road, below Folsom Dam.
- Course
- Sacramento's course climbs 223 m in all, with its lowest point at 6 m and its highest at 110 m.
- Entry
- Entry to Sacramento is first come, first served (sold out for 2026), and costs US$180–230 for 2026.
- Field
- The 2025 California International Marathon had a marathon field of 8,176.
- Weather
- Across 30 years, Sacramento's race-day temperature has a median of 8.6 °C.
- Records
- The California International Marathon course records are 2:07:35 (Tsegay Weldlibanos, 2024) and 2:24:09 (Molly Born, 2025).
- Time limit
- Sacramento's time limit is 6 hours.
Marathon Course · every marathon course, measured the same way
California International Marathon
Point to point from Folsom Dam to the State Capitol in December, rolling for the first half and nearly level for the last eight kilometres. Folsom Dam, Folsom → Capitol Mall, Sacramento, California, USA.
- Distance
- 42.2 km
- Ascent
- 223 m
- Descent
- 327 m
- Net
- −104 m
Course map and elevation
5 km splits marked · hover or drag the profile below to move along the courseElevation · measured on the organiser's course map · USGS NED 10 m · smoothed 100 m 6–110 m
—
0.08.516.925.433.842.3
kmmi — elev — grade — hover or drag the profile
The start, beside Folsom Dam, is the highest point on the course at 110 m, and the first 6.0 km lose 47 m of it. After that the road rolls. Just past Fair Oaks village, Fair Oaks Boulevard drops 21 m into a valley, the steepest descending kilometre, and climbs 13 m straight back out, the steepest climbing one. About three-quarters of the 223 m of climbing comes before halfway. From the H Street Bridge at 34.8 km to the finish there's only 11 m more. Add up the energy cost of every gradient and, for a three-hour runner, the course comes out about 1.6 min quicker than a flat 42.195 km (0.88 %).
Take it with you
Course GPX Organiser's course map
The GPX is ours: our resampled line, a point every 25 m, carrying USGS NED 10 m elevation rather than the GPS noise a watch file usually holds.
USGS NED 10 m, measured on the organiser's course map, smoothed 100 m · marathoncourse.com/marathons/cim/ · checked 2026-10-14
How to enter: dates and fees
Entry is first come, first served, and 2026 has sold out. There were three tiers: Gold at US$230, which you can transfer or defer; Orange at US$200, which you can transfer; and Blue at US$180, which you can't change at all. A charity tier at US$500 and a drawing for extra Gold places have gone too.
The way in now is a transfer. A runner holding a Gold or Orange place can pass it on through Race Roster until 16 November, and the new runner pays US$230 for a Blue place. The two-person relay has sold out too. There are no refunds, and Gold runners who defer re-register for 2027 by 1 June 2027. Check the official registration page for the 2027 tiers.
The way in now is a transfer. A runner holding a Gold or Orange place can pass it on through Race Roster until 16 November, and the new runner pays US$230 for a Blue place. The two-person relay has sold out too. There are no refunds, and Gold runners who defer re-register for 2027 by 1 June 2027. Check the official registration page for the 2027 tiers.
History
John Mansoor and Sally Edwards started CIM in 1983 as a fast, net-downhill course with prize money to draw international runners, and about 1,600 ran the first one. The Sacramento Running Association, a non-profit, still organises it. The national championships came in 1984 and have been back eight times since, including 2025 and 2026.
It's a race people run for a time. In 2018 about 150 runners ran Olympic Trials qualifiers here, and more than 2,000 ran Boston times. The weather is the gamble: 1987 was the Storm Year, with 70 mph winds, and 2013 started below freezing. Jerry Lawson's 2:10:27 from 1993 stood as the course record for 31 years, until Tsegay Weldlibanos ran 2:07:35 in 2024.
It's a race people run for a time. In 2018 about 150 runners ran Olympic Trials qualifiers here, and more than 2,000 ran Boston times. The weather is the gamble: 1987 was the Storm Year, with 70 mph winds, and 2013 started below freezing. Jerry Lawson's 2:10:27 from 1993 stood as the course record for 31 years, until Tsegay Weldlibanos ran 2:07:35 in 2024.
- 1983About 1,600 run the first race. Sister Marion Irvine, aged 54, runs 2:51:01 to qualify for the 1984 Olympic Trials
- 1985Peter Butler of Canada runs 2:10:56, the course record for the next eight years
- 1987The Storm Year: rain and 70 mph winds, and a local runner, Patti Gray, wins the women's race
- 1990Craig Blanchette sets the wheelchair record, 1:45:10. Nobody has beaten it since
- 1992Steve Plasencia beats Keith Brantly by one second
- 1993Jerry Lawson runs 2:10:27, the fastest marathon by an American that year. It stands for 31 years
- 2002Helen Klein, aged 80, runs 4:31:32 for a world age-group record
- 2012The 30th race is run in a storm, with more than an inch of rain
- 2013Below freezing at the start, the coldest CIM yet. Becky Wade wins on her debut
- 2018About 150 runners qualify for the Olympic Trials, a record for the race
- 2020Cancelled because of COVID-19
- 2021Sara Vaughn wins on her debut in 2:26:53, a course record
- 2022Paige Stoner takes 51 seconds off it at the national championships, in 2:26:02
- 2024Both records fall on one morning: Tsegay Weldlibanos runs 2:07:35 and Calli Hauger-Thackery 2:24:28
- 2025Molly Born wins the national title on her debut, in a course record of 2:24:09
- 20266 December, the 43rd race, and the national championships again
1990200020102020
Course records
Pace is derived from the certified distance. Terrain-adjusted figures come from the same model that ranks every course on this site.
Women’s course record
2:24:09
Molly Born · 2025
- Average pace
- 3:25 / km
- Terrain-adjusted
- −0.88 %
Race day: start times and cut-offs
- 7:00am
- 1:30pm
- Time limit
- 6 hours
- 17
The start is closed to cars and spectators, so the free buses are the only way to the line, and your bib is the ticket. The last bus leaves downtown, from behind the convention centre at K and 13th, at 4:30am. There's no bag drop at the start. Check a bag at the expo, or downtown at location A before your bus, and collect it at 9th and Capitol Mall. Clothes left at the start or in the first two miles go to charity.
There are seventeen aid stations, each with water and an electrolyte drink, and the ones at miles 6.4, 13.7 and 21.4 add gels, chews and bananas. New for 2026 are three self-refill water points, at miles 6.7, 14 and 20.5. Relay runners change over at mile 13.4 in Carmichael, and buses take the first leg on to the finish.
There are seventeen aid stations, each with water and an electrolyte drink, and the ones at miles 6.4, 13.7 and 21.4 add gels, chews and bananas. New for 2026 are three self-refill water points, at miles 6.7, 14 and 20.5. Relay runners change over at mile 13.4 in Carmichael, and buses take the first leg on to the finish.
The morning, hour by hour
- 4:30am
- Last bus from downtown (location A)
- 5:00am
- Last bus from Point West (location B)
- 5:30am
- Last buses from Folsom (locations C and D)
- 6:15am
- Last drop-off shuttle from Granite Bay (location E)
- 6:53am
- Wheelchair and adaptive start
- 7:00am
- Marathon and relay start
- 7:30am
- Start line closes
- 1:30pm
- Finish closes
There are no intermediate cut-offs. Sweep runners leave the start at 7:30am at 13:44 a mile, about 8:32 a kilometre, and the roads reopen behind them. The finish closes at 1:30pm.
Race-day weather, 1995–2025
- Median
- 8.6 °C
- Warm years
- 0 of 30
- Wet years
- 7 of 30
Race-day mean temperature, 1995-2025. Lime marks the hottest edition; the coldest and wettest carry a label only, so the colour still means one thing.
Frequently asked questions
Is CIM downhill?
On balance, yes. The finish is 104 m below the start, and of the 29 courses compared here only Boston drops further. It isn't all downhill, though: there's 223 m of climbing, three-quarters of it in the first half.
USGS 10 m elevation model, sampled every 25 m, smoothed over 100 m. The organiser gives 366 ft for the drop.
Does it count for Boston?
Yes, with no adjustment. The B.A.A. adds time only on courses that drop 1,500 ft or more, and the organiser's own figure for CIM is 366 ft. About 30 % of finishers ran a qualifying time in 2025.
B.A.A. qualifying rules; MarathonGuide 2025 results.
Is it a fast course?
The records say so. Tsegay Weldlibanos ran 2:07:35 in 2024, Molly Born ran 2:24:09 in 2025, and three men broke 2:10 that same morning.
Race results, 2024 and 2025.
Can I still enter for 2026?
Not directly, because every tier has sold out. A Gold or Orange runner can transfer their place through Race Roster until 16 November, and the new runner pays US$230. The two-person relay has sold out too.
Organiser registration and transfer pages, checked 2026-10-14.
What is the cut-off?
Six hours. Sweep runners leave the start at 7:30am at 13:44 a mile, the roads reopen behind them, and the finish closes at 1:30pm. There are no intermediate cut-offs.
Organiser FAQ, 2026.
What's the weather like in December?
Cold at the start and usually dry. Over 30 race mornings the median temperature was 8.6 °C, and seven had a millimetre of rain or more. 2013 started below freezing.
ERA5 race-morning climatology, 1995 to 2025, without 2020.
How do I get to the start?
On the free race buses, with your bib as the ticket. There's no parking or drop-off at the start. The last bus leaves downtown at 4:30am, and the latest of all, a drop-off shuttle from Granite Bay, leaves at 6:15.
Organiser race transportation page, 2026.
Can I defer or transfer my place?
It depends on the tier. Gold places can be transferred or deferred to 2027, Orange places can only be transferred, and Blue places can't be changed. Transfers close on 16 November, and there are no refunds.
Organiser transfers and deferrals page.
Where can spectators watch?
Not at the start, which is closed to spectators. Fair Oaks village at about mile 10, Carmichael Park at mile 14 and the H Street Bridge at mile 21.5 are on the organiser's list. The finish on Capitol Mall has bleachers near 7th Street.
Organiser spectator page, 2025.
Is it a good first marathon?
It's an easy one to pace well. The second half is gentler than the first, the morning is cool and the limit is six hours. Getting in is the hard part: 2026 sold out.
Organiser race information; measured profile; ERA5 climatology.
How many people run it?
8,176 finished the marathon in 2025, down from 8,356 in 2024 and 9,183 in 2023.
Organiser figures for the 2025 edition.
What is the weather like on race day?
About 8.6 °C during a typical race: that's the median across 30 years, which have run from 0.3 °C to 13.8 °C. 7 of the 30 were wet.
ERA5 reanalysis for the race date, 1995-2025.
Can I use a time here to qualify for Boston?
Yes, at face value. The B.A.A. adds time only on courses that drop 1,500 ft or more, and CIM's finish is 104 m below its start. In 2025 about 30 % of finishers ran a qualifying time. The course is certified by USATF, which the B.A.A. also requires.
Net drop −104 m from this site's course line; 2027 adjustment None. Certification certified: Certified by USATF and a Boston qualifier. Not eligible for records: it drops too far, and finishes too far from its start, for World Athletics.
How accurate is the elevation figure?
It comes from USGS NED 10 m, sampled every 25 m along the course line and smoothed over 100 m. The raw-to-smoothed ratio here is 1.28. Around 1.3 means the model is reading the ground, not rooftops; above about 2.0 the total climb carries real noise, and the net change is the sturdier number.
0 missing samples · 1 bridge spans corrected.
Sources
Every fact on this page, its source, and the date it was checked · 16
| Fact | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|
| Course line | The organiser's Google My Map, drawn finish to start and reversed. All 26 mile markers on the map sit on the line, which measures 42.35 km, 0.4 % long | 2026-10-14 |
| Elevation | USGS NED 10 m via OpenTopoData; the H Street Bridge interpolated between its banks. The organiser gives the drop as 366 ft; the start and finish heights here put it at 340 ft | 2026-10-14 |
| Race-day weather | ERA5 via Open-Meteo archive | 2026-10-14 |
| Course records | Race results and reports; the organiser's records page hasn't been updated for 2025 | 2026-10-14 |
| Field size | Marathon finishers from MarathonGuide's results, 2023 to 2025 | 2026-10-14 |
| Race date and start | Organiser start-line and FAQ pages, 2026 | 2026-10-14 |
| Cut-off | Organiser FAQ, 2026 | 2026-10-14 |
| Aid stations | Organiser course and aid stations page, 2026 | 2026-10-14 |
| Entry | Organiser registration page, 2026 | 2026-10-14 |
| Refunds and transfers | Organiser transfers and deferrals page | 2026-10-14 |
| Transport | Organiser race transportation page, 2026 | 2026-10-14 |
| History and timeline | Sacramento Running Association's 40th-edition archive and race reports | 2026-10-14 |
| Boston qualifying | B.A.A. qualifying rules; 2025 qualifying rate from MarathonGuide | 2026-10-14 |
| Steepest-kilometre place names | OpenStreetMap via Nominatim reverse geocoding (ODbL) | 2026-10-14 |
| Photography | Unsplash: Leo_Visions (the Capitol in autumn; downtown at sunset; Capitol Park), Zalman Grossbaum (Folsom Lake, twice), Oscar Ochoa (the Capitol's west front) | 2026-10-14 |
| Relay | Sacramento Running Association relay registration page: sold out for 2026 | 2026-10-14 |
Until the California International Marathon · 6 Dec 2026
— days
— hrs— min— sec
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