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Dec 6, 2026
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The California International Marathon (CIM) is a point-to-point road marathon from Folsom Dam to the State Capitol in Sacramento, held in early December and organised by the Sacramento Running Association. It was founded in 1983, and the organiser says the route has remained unchanged for 42 years. The course starts at 7:00am in Folsom's foothills and ends at the historical California State Capitol. The organiser describes it as net-downhill, with a net elevation drop of 366 feet (111.5 metres), gentle rolling hills and a flat, fast finish. In 1984 CIM served as the national marathon championship for men and women, and the race has hosted national championship races since. The men's course record of 2:07:35 was set by Tsegay Weldlibanos in 2024, breaking Jerry Lawson's 2:10:27 from 1993. The women's course record of 2:24:09 was set by Molly Born in 2025 in her first marathon. The 2026 race is scheduled for 6 December.
Typical climate for the race month — an estimate, not a forecast or a race-day record
Early December in Sacramento is cool and often damp: average highs are around 13°C and lows around 4°C, with measurable rain on about ten days in the month.
The Race
Sacramento
The California International Marathon was founded in 1983 by the Sacramento Running Association, a non-profit organisation run by runners. The route that the association's management created for the first race, from Folsom to the State Capitol, remains the one used today. In 1983 John Mansoor and Sally Edwards organised the first CIM.
In December 2024 Tsegay Weldlibanos won in 2:07:35, three seconds faster than the previous men's record of 2:10:27 set by Jerry Lawson in 1993. A year later Molly Born, a 26-year-old in her first marathon, fell on the homestretch, got up and won in 2:24:09, a women's course record.
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02:07:35
Tsegay Weldlibanos (2024)
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