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The complete, course-first guide
CIM
Sunday, December 6, 2026 · Wave schedule — see logistics
Near the Folsom Dam in Folsom, in the foothills northeast of Sacramento; point-to-point to the finish at the California State Capitol in downtown Sacramento
The race in 60 seconds
The marathon is a true point-to-point: its finish sits about 19.6 miles from the start as the crow flies. The modeled line carries about 693 feet of total climb and ranges from roughly 20 to 360 feet above sea level. Look for Esquire Plaza, Elks Tower, Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, California State Capitol in the flyover, with recognizable forms modeled from architectural records.
Fly the course
The whole course, built from the best available published route trace and an extruded model of Sacramento. Scrub it, change the camera, or let it play. Nothing here is a video: it is drawing the city live.
Route statusCurrent community course trace cross-checked against the published route. 42.26 km trace whose endpoints match the official Master Map KML
The route line uses the best published course trace available. Public-domain USGS and USDA aerial photography plus USGS 3DEP elevation are baked into RunRace USA, so the flyover makes no paid map API or third-party runtime requests. Buildings, roads, parks and water use OpenStreetMap, ODbL. This is photographic terrain with modeled architecture, not photogrammetry. Bridge approaches, elevations and facade details are approximations; the organizer's published route remains the reference.
The elevation profile
This Marathon profile covers 26.2 miles, ranges from roughly 20 to 360 feet, and contains about 693 feet of modeled climb.
- , mile 11.18 to 11.65: 38 feet up, 1.6% average.
The route at a glance
Gold is the selected modeled course; route provenance is stated beside the flyover.
Race-week weather, measured
At the start line, December 2-10 averaged a low of 42°F and a high of 56°F across 2016-2025. The same window reached 69°F at its warmest and 32°F at its coldest. Measurable rain appeared on about 22% of sampled days. Treat the range, not just the average, as the packing list.
Pace it by effort
The profile and grade strip come from the same route currently loaded in the flyover. Use even pace as a baseline, then protect effort on the highlighted climbs and exposed sections.
| Finish | Even pace | Halfway |
|---|---|---|
| 3:00 | 6:52 /mi | 1:30 |
| 3:30 | 8:01 /mi | 1:45 |
| 4:00 | 9:09 /mi | 2:00 |
| 4:30 | 10:18 /mi | 2:15 |
| 5:00 | 11:27 /mi | 2:30 |
| Published course limit, 6:00 | 13:44 /mi | 3:00 |
Build your race weekend
The course
Live 3D flyover, synchronized elevation, route map, mile-by-mile shape and local landmarks.
Where to stay
24 mapped places to stay, compared by the endpoint that matters.
Expo and logistics
Packet pickup, the published weekend schedule, transit, parking and current entry tiers.
Spectators
Route-aware viewing anchors and a plan that respects the actual course geography.
The weekend
A city guide built around the places modeled beside the course.
Race listing
Dates, distances and the official registration link.
Common questions
Does CIM sell out, and how do I actually get in?
Yes. The race states that all three standard registration tiers, Blue, Orange and Gold, sold out at record speed, so entry is a first-come scramble rather than something you can arrange in the fall. There is no open qualifying standard published; the only lottery-style path is the CIM Gold Entry Drawing, whose application window has already closed for this year.
Which entry tier did I buy, and why does it decide everything later?
CIM sells three tiers that differ only in protection. Blue is unprotected: it cannot be transferred, cannot be deferred and is not refundable. Orange can transfer to another runner or to the relay, but cannot defer. Gold can transfer or defer. First-timers buy the cheapest tier, then discover in November that they own the one entry with no exit.
Can I give my bib to a friend if I get hurt?
Only if you hold Gold or Orange. Official transfers to another runner run from October 1 to November 16; the recipient pays a Blue-level entry plus a transfer fee and receives a Blue entry that can never be transferred or deferred again. Blue entries cannot transfer at all. Selling or handing off a bib outside that window is not an option.
Can I defer to next year?
Gold entries only, and the mechanism is unusual: you defer by simply not picking up your bib at the expo. The race then issues a deferral code for a Blue entry to the following year, which must be redeemed by the stated June 1 deadline. Orange and Blue cannot defer, and a deferred entry may not later be transferred to another runner or distance.
Am I getting a refund if I cannot run?
No. The race states flatly that CIM and the CIM Relay will not provide refunds to registrants for any reason, which explicitly covers injury, illness and personal emergencies. Refunds appear only if the race itself is cancelled. Note the site contradicts itself: the general information page says pregnancy and postpartum deferrals and transfers are available, while the transfer page describes no such carve-out.
Are the start corrals real, and can I just line up wherever?
There are seven staging areas seeded by projected finish time, from under 2:50 in Staging Area 1 through 4:30-plus in Staging Area 7, each with its own entrance and its own closing time, the earliest around 6:50 a.m. There is also a separate seeded start entrance. Entrance closures are enforced, so arriving late means being pushed back regardless of your seed.
What is the actual time limit, and what happens if I fade?
The finish line closes at 1:30 p.m. sharp, which is six hours from the 7:30 a.m. sweep start rather than from the 7:00 a.m. mass start, so a mid-pack runner has slightly more clock than they think. The route reopens at 13:44 per mile. Sweep runners mark the end of the race, buses collect non-finishers, and no race or finish services are guaranteed past six hours.
Where do I put my warm-up clothes at the start?
Nowhere. CIM offers no gear check at the start line; gear check exists only at the expo and during bus loading at the designated downtown location. There is also a no-bag policy across the entire event and course, so large bags and backpacks are out. Hydration vests, fanny packs, belts and hand-helds are permitted.
What is banned on course that runners assume is fine?
Bicycles, unicycles, tricycles, inline skates, skateboards and strollers are all prohibited; handcrank wheelchairs require medical documentation. Headphones are outright banned for elite and grand prix competitors and strongly discouraged for everyone else, with officials empowered to require compliance. Your official bib must be worn and fully visible, or your time may not be recorded.
What should I expect from the weather and the fueling on course?
The race publishes an average temperature in the mid-50s and runs rain or shine, so December Sacramento is cool and potentially wet, not the cold most travellers pack for. There are 17 aid stations from mile 2.2 to mile 25.3 with 8oz cups of water and Precision Hydration mix, but only three, at miles 6.4, 8.5 and 21.4, carry gels and fruit.
Register for the 2026 CIM →on Race Roster
Course geometry provenance is stated beside the player; elevation profiles always use the same route loaded there. City geometry is OpenStreetMap, ODbL. Aerial imagery is from USGS and USDA; other images carry their own source credits. Weather figures use Open-Meteo reanalysis for December 2-10 across 2016-2025 at the start line. Schedule, prices and expo hours were checked in 2026-08-27 and are the fields most likely to move: confirm them on runsra.org/california-international-marathon before you book anything. Spot an error? Tell us and we'll fix it fast.