California International Marathon
Sunday, December 6, 2026 · Sacramento, USA · 7:00 AM
Updated Oct 17, 2026
One of the top Boston Qualifier routes in the US, with a high concentration of Olympic Trials Qualifiers. The sweeping, gently rolling net-downhill terrain and minimal turns make it BQ-friendly. Net drop of 366ft complies with Boston's index rules (which penalize >1,500ft drops from 2027).
CIM Marathon elevation
The CIM Marathon is net downhill: the finish is 366 ft (112 m) lower than the start, over 26.2 miles (42.195 km).
Where the climbs are
- Mile 6-11Fair Oaks hills: rolling ups and downs, the main climbs on the course
Is the CIM Marathon hard?
No, not as marathon courses go. The CIM Marathon scores 2.4/10 on the Kenyan Running Difficulty Index, tied for the 5th easiest of the 12 marathons we rate.
The score is built from four factors: hills, race-day weather, turns and bridges, and the late miles where a runner is most likely to lose time. See the score breakdown.
Pacing the CIM Marathon
Print a pace band for the CIM Marathon. On the climbs, run even effort, not even pace: expect to fall behind the band going up and to win the time back coming down.
Training for the CIM Marathon?
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The score breakdown
The Kenyan Running Difficulty Index combines four weighted factors. The heaviest weight (35%) is on Tactical Brutality. That is what a Kenyan coach watches first: where the field actually blows up.
Score confidence: preliminary. Computed from public course, weather, and prize data.
Course profile
- Elevation gain
- —
- Elevation loss
- —
- Net elevation change
- -366ft (-112m)
- Surface
- paved smooth
- Late-stage climbs (after mile 18)
- None.
- Profile notes
- Net downhill of 366ft from the Folsom start to the Sacramento finish. The steepest drop comes between miles 2 and 4. The main climbs come in the Fair Oaks hills, miles 6 to 11.
Race day
- Date
- Sunday, December 6, 2026
- Start time
- 7:00 AM
- Field size (approx.)
- 8,500
- Entry
- General entry; USATF Championships requires 2:20:00 (M) / 2:42:00 (W); Seeded starts available.
- Time limit
- 6 hours (finish line closes at 1:30 PM)
- Aid stations
- 17 aid stations with water and Precision Hydration electrolyte drink. Precision Fuel gels and fruit at miles 6.4, 13.7 and 21.4. Self-serve water refills at about miles 6.7, 14 and 20.5.
Weather (historical)
Prize money
- Total purse
- $116,500
- Winner
- $20K
- 2nd / 3rd
- $12.5K / $9K
- Time bonuses
- $500 Olympic qualifying bonus (M: 2:16:00, W: 2:37:00)
- Notes
- Smallest purse in the set after LA Marathon; positioned for the BQ/OTQ audience rather than international elite recruitment.
Course records
Recent winners
Top East African winners (Kenya, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Uganda) across the last 10 verified editions: 4 men, 3 women.
| Year | Men's winner | Time | Women's winner | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Futsum Zienasellassie (USA) | 2:09:29 | Molly Born (USA) | 2:24:09 |
| 2024 | Tsegay Weldlibanos (ERI) | 2:07:35 | Calli Hauger-Thackery (GBR) | 2:24:38 |
| 2023 | CJ Albertson (USA) | 2:11:09 | Grace Kahura (USA) | 2:29:00 |
| 2022 | Futsum Zienasellassie (USA) | 2:11:01 | Paige Stoner (USA) | 2:26:02 |
| 2021 | Brendan Gregg (USA) | 2:11:21 | Sara Vaughn (USA) | 2:26:53 |
| 2019 | Elisha Barno (KEN) | 2:13:36 | Jane Kibii (KEN) | 2:29:31 |
| 2018 | Brogan Austin (USA) | 2:12:39 | Emma Bates (USA) | 2:28:18 |
| 2017 | Tim Ritchie (USA) | 2:11:56 | Sara Hall (USA) | 2:28:10 |
| 2016 | Nelson Oyugi (KEN) | 2:11:41 | Sara Kiptoo (ETH) | 2:31:20 |
| 2015 | Elisha Barno (KEN) | 2:12:11 | Serkalem Biset Abrha (ETH) | 2:31:51 |
Training for CIM Marathon?
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