Course & Elevation
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.
Course Facts
Weather
Typical climate for the race month — an estimate, not a forecast or a race-day record
8°C
Temperature
83%
Humidity
31%
Rain Chance
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.
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