🇺🇸Sacramento, USA
California International Marathon
Dec 6, 2026
Distance
42.2 km
Elevation gain
110 m
Terrain
Road
Entry type
Open entry
PB potential
World-record territory — one of the fastest courses on the planet
Beginner friendly
Great for newcomers — manageable course, strong support
About this race
CIM (California International Marathon) is the west coast's answer to the Boston qualifier hunt. The point-to-point course from Folsom to downtown Sacramento runs a consistent net downhill of about 110m, making it genuinely fast for trained runners. The December date brings ideal conditions — 6–12°C, low humidity, light winds. CIM is purpose-built for qualification runs and draws enormous fields of BQ-chasers every year. The course runs through the American River Parkway's tree-lined paths and suburban Sacramento neighbourhoods before finishing on Capitol Mall with views of the State Capitol dome. Organisation is outstanding, pacers are reliable, and the race regularly sends hundreds of runners to Boston.
Typical race-day weather
Temperature
6–13°C
Humidity
60–75%
Conditions
Cool Sacramento December — near-perfect racing
Wind
5–15 km/h
Qualifies for
Pace Band
Generate a free elevation-adjusted pace band for California International Marathon. Print it, wear it, hit your splits.
Build my pace band →Compare
Stack California International Marathon against another race side-by-side.
Compare with another race →More races
You might also like
Houston, USA
Chevron Houston Marathon
Jan 18, 2027 · Road · ↑ 45 m
OpenOne of America's flattest and fastest January marathons — a near-sea-level loop through downtown Houston and Memorial Park with world-class PB credentials.
Los Angeles, USA
Los Angeles Marathon
Mar 22, 2027 · Road · ↑ 350 m
OpenA legendary point-to-point race from Dodger Stadium to the Santa Monica pier — through Hollywood, Beverly Hills, and West LA on closed freeways.
San Francisco, USA
San Francisco Marathon
Jul 26, 2026 · Road · ↑ 590 m
OpenThe most challenging urban marathon in America — across the Golden Gate Bridge, through Golden Gate Park, and up San Francisco's iconic hills with 590m of brutal elevation.
Explore the region
More Americas marathons
World MajorChicago, USA
Bank of America Chicago Marathon
Oct 11, 2026 · Road · ↑ 30 m
Lottery soonThe flattest World Major — a loop through 29 of Chicago's neighbourhoods with the most inclusive crowd energy in American marathon running.
Toronto, Canada
Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon
Oct 18, 2026 · Road · ↑ 70 m
OpenA World Athletics Gold Label race and one of North America's most underrated PB courses — flat, fast, and perfectly timed in Toronto's ideal October conditions.
St. George, USA
St. George Marathon
Oct 3, 2026 · Road · ↑ 280 m
Lottery openAmerica's fastest marathon — a net-downhill point-to-point through Utah's red rock canyon country, the most popular BQ-hunting race in the American West.