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☰
California International Marathon Runner Comments
Back to California International Marathon Information & Reviews
Course 4.4 
Organization 4.3 
Spectators 4.2
Number of comments: 232 [displaying comments 11 to 21]
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W. W. from Los Angeles
(12/8/2017)
"Fast Course and Pleasent Event" (about: 2017)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 California International Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Sacramento is a small city in California. It is the state capital. The city is surrounded by agriculture environment. The weather and the air quality in early December in Sacramento area is perfect for running. For 2017, the temperature started at 45 degree F and it was 55 degree F when I reached the finish line. The course is along wide streets with rolling hills. The overall course has more down hills than up hills. All hills are with gentle slops. The size of the event fits the course well. You can find your pace almost from the very beginning. However, there was no organized "waves" at the start line. I encounter many slow runners blocking my way for the first 3 miles. The event was well organized overall. Everything from expo, morning buses, starting area, bag checking, to aid stations, and finish area are all well arranged. The organizers have arranged at least one hundreds potties at the start area. Unlike most of other running events you have to spend significant of your preparation time in starting area awaiting for your turn to use a toilet. The lines for CIM were quite short, say, less than 5 minutes in average. There are potties in many water stations as well. The organizers have managed to get many sponsors to support the event. These benefit the runners directly. Something everyone received are: - Clif shots in a number of water stations; - Electrolyte drink nuun in every water station; - Whole food sandwiches at the finish area; - Sierra Nevada Beer at the finish area (this may not for everyone); - and many small gifts in the goodie bag. The rolling hill course plus the pleasant weather enables runners to run faster. The organizers made running this event a very pleasant experience. I have run 35 marathon in 35 different course. This event awarded me a medal with "35" as the main face of the medal. I thank the event for making this medal so special for me, although I know later that it is CIM's 35th anniversary. | |
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D. J. from Central Coast, California
(12/6/2017)
"The Goldilocks marathon" (about: 2017)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 California International Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This is really the ideal marathon. Not too large; navigating the expo, parking, getting to the buses, was all good because it isn't too large a race. Not too small, so they have a good expo, well supported with volunteers along the entire course, you're always among other runners, the finish line area had good food/beer and reasons to hang for awhile. As for the course, it's what I would conjure in a dream; not pancake flat (I need some hills to break up the monotony), but flat when you need it (the last 6-8 miles), very few turns. This year's weather was my fantasy...cool, but not too cold, damp (it lightly rained during the night), but no rain during the race. The sun came out and is at your back for the entire course (no glaring sun in your eyes). This is really the perfect course at the perfect time of year; I can see why it hasn't been changed in 35 years. Big Kudos to the race organizers; this is a perfectly executed race. My one complaint would be the water/nuun stations weren't big enough...when I was running with a pacing group, there were too many of us clustered together to easily reach water and/or nuun...I ditched the pace group and problem solved. Despite getting older (now in my 50's) and slower and not being in the best shape of my life, I set a PR and BQ'd by 10 minutes. | |
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J. O. from Boulder, CO
(12/6/2017)
"Wonderful organization and race" (about: 2017)
11-50 previous marathons
| 2 California International Marathons
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 Second time runner in this race and my 35th marathon. Great organization and worth a trip to run CIM. Your quads will be trashed after 10 miles unless you train on downhills. Only suggestion for improvement is more porta-potties needed in first 20 miles. Waiting for a few minutes for a toilet break will damage your chances of a BQ. Everything else is geared to BQ and I don't understand why this lack of toilets is overlooked. I went into the bushes twice - helps to be a male in these circumstances. | |
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K. R. from Eugene, OR
(12/5/2017)
"Great overall race, with excellent organization!" (about: 2017)
2 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 A truly great experience for my second full marathon! Would definitely run this one again and recommend it to anyone wanting a well-organized and fun race! PROs: Race morning - the bus to the start in Folsom made everything a breeze (though they leave early, 5 a.m., this also allows you to be there and have time to chill, on the bus or outside, before the start). Port-a-pottys a plenty - I was so happy to see the number of toilets, allowing for a smooth start. Bag drop - super well organized and efficient!! Thank you, volunteers! Aid stations - well-stocked and frequent (every 1-2 miles), with nuun first, then water, some with food, and 4 spots for cliff gels. I'd still love to have Gatorade instead of nuun, so I just went for the water and used my own electrolyte fuel. Course - the course definitely has some rolling hills (I felt the downhills on my knees), but nothing too tough, and I kind of loved that you got the hills done after about mi 15, and then it was mostly a slight-downhill coast to the finish in downtown Sacramento. I thought the course was great in that I didn't feel overly crowded for it being the biggest race I've run - wide streets allowed for people to spread out. I also enjoyed the variety of running through neighborhoods and small towns. There were more spectators than I expected, so that was a pleasant surprise, but not the best aspect of the race. I was able to cut 12:30 off my time in this race, so the hills couldn't have been that bad! Shirt and swag - I really love the shirt, especially that the women's is actually long enough! Also enjoyed the belt, socks, and head/neck band, all stuff I'll actualy use! Weather - absolutely perfect. It rained overnight, so was not as cold as forecasted, but crystal clear morning, temps from 45-55 from start to finish. CONS: Finish line - this is my only area of constructive feedback for the race organizers. I would have loved to find Gatorade and/or chocolate milk right after the finish (with the water) in order to avoid the electrolyte/carb crash that ensued. It was difficult to locate the tent with nuun (hidden in a far corner). Also would have loved to see water refilling stations, especially with the obvious effort to promote recycling/composting (which I loved). The warm breakfast sandwich was good (thank you for having a vegetarian option!), but I would have also liked more simple-carb options, like orange slices and the chocolate milk. The high-quality coffee drinks to go made up for all of that, though. Overall the finish area felt a bit crowded and not as well organized / signed as the rest of the event. I loved finishing at the Capitol, though, and having the palm trees with the Christmas tree in the background of photos! Thanks for a great race experience, CIM!! I hope to be back! | |
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Wayne Wright from Palmdale, California USA
(2/17/2017)
"California's Gold" (about: 2016)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 California International Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 INTRODUCTION: I am a race-walker with a median marathon completion time of 5:17:40. The California International Marathon was my forty-second 26.2-miler accomplished. COURSE: It was a perfect day for a marathon: temperature at the Folsom start line was 37 degrees, 98 percent relative humidity, 3 mph winds from the north-northeast with few clouds. The course was characterized by rolling hills from the start (without corrals, one gauged one's place based on where the pace leaders stood) until reaching downtown Sacramento just past mile 22 where it became pancake flat. While the net descent was 340 feet (about 13 feet per mile), there were not any significant ups or downs to speak of. In the first six miles, we traversed through Folsom, Orangevale, and Citrus Heights, mostly westbound on Oak Avenue, before turning south onto Fair Oaks Boulevard. Approximately 16 miles of the course was on the irregularly shaped Fair Oaks Boulevard, where we traveled south and west on the same street at least three separate times, and then west-southwest between miles 16 and 22. The final stretch was through downtown Sacramento, where, travelling mostly westbound on J Street and then L Street, we counted down each block starting at 57th Street. At 15th Street, we ran alongside the Capitol Park and at 11th Street, the State Capitol. We turned left on 8th Street, eventually reversing course on K Street, to reach, unique among marathons, our gender-segregated finish lines facing the front of the State Capitol and its resplendent Christmas tree. Finish time temperature was a partly cloudy 55 degrees, 59 percent relative humidity, and 6 mph winds from the west-northwest. ORGANIZATION: Well done. From the expo to the course support to the finish line, the race was pulled off almost flawlessly. Especially worth noting were the two 5:23 pace leaders. Well organized and full of good humor, the leaders identified what was available at each of the upcoming aid stations and noting their locations well in advance. SPECTATORS: Typical in number for a marathon of this size, enthusiastic in support. CONCLUSION: This race was deservedly well known as a place to qualify for the Boston Marathon, and upon looking at its program that was distributed at the expo, it was clear the organizers catered to this elite group of runners. That said, this was not done at the expense of the slower runners, who were also well treated during the entire length of the course. One should consider this race to be included in one's marathon portfolio. Well done, Folsom, Sacramento, and places in between. | |
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J. C. from Oklahoma
(12/9/2016)
"Fast Course, Great Weather, Got my BQ!" (about: 2016)
3 previous marathons
| 1 California International Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my third marathon and I came to Sacramento because I heard how great this race was. It did not disappoint. The convention is well laid out and in a great location in downtown Sac. I stayed at a hotel where the bus picked me up right outside bright and early at 5am. This was greatly organized and they allowed us to stay on the bus until the race start. Although it isn't ideal to hang out on a bus for an hour before your race, with the logistics of the start location, it is the best you can expect. There is no problem finding a portapotty before hand because they are numerous. The course starts with a downhill so its hard not to start too fast. You are then greeted for the next 15 miles or so with gentle rolling hills with the downhills twice as long as the uphills. For those complaining about the hills, where do you live?! Although it is not completely flat, as long as you incorporate some hills in your long run, you should have no problem. I honestly barely noticed the uphills. The crowd support is not great but the fact that you are running with 9000 other marathoners makes up for any of that. It really feels like you are all in this together. I was able to PR by 15 minutes and get a BQ! The post race area isn't the greatest I've been to but its really cool to get to ring the BQ bell. Plus there is a beer area where you can recover and drink all the well deserved free beer you want. I'm from Oklahoma and I think I will be back next year to try and run under 3 hours. This is the race to do it! | |
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Becca Fite from Texas
(12/6/2016)
"My 1st BQ! You must be researched and trained." (about: 2016)
11-50 previous marathons
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I travelled out of state for my third BQ attempt, and it was a success! HOTEL: We stayed at the Embassy Suites RiverFront; it was less than a half a mile walk to the busses on race day morning. The hotel is also exactly a mile from the finish line and expo. Since we had glorious weather all weekend, we walked to our hotel after the expo and the marathon. EXPO: large, fun, similar to most expos, no problem navigating RACE MORNING: no complaints here. Be prepared to be on the bus for 45 minutes. Bring your food and blanket. Once you arrive you are free to visit the 300 portopotties and come back to the bus to wait until 15 minutes before start time. RACE COURSE: no complaints here. Obviously people come here to PR, but you have to earn it. You must train on hills prior to coming here. The course is a net down hill, but the course is rolling (which I think it a good thing). Enjoyed the rural beauty along the course. Enjoyed running through the little downtowns. Although there are few turns on the course, I was still cognizant of running the tangents and finished with overall 26.21 miles! There was nice crowd support. You are not in Chicago or New York don't come here expecting that kind of support. FINISH: Bag check was fully stocked with volunteers to grab your bag quickly. Nice beer garden. Warm oatmeal provided by Whole Foods. GREAT location right in front of the capital with giant Christmas tree in front. SO MUCH FUN to celebrate my BQ by ringing the BQ bell! OVERALL: I lucked out by having the best weather ever this weekend- 40 degrees, sunny, no wind. As long as you understand the course and train appropriately, you have a GREAT chance of being one of those 23% Boston qualifiers the race is known for! | |
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B. J. from Dallas, Texas
(12/5/2016)
"Very Well-Organized, Not Particularly Fast, Course" (about: 2016)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 California International Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This race is promoted as being a 'net downhill' course that is very fast. While I'm sure the finish line is at a lower elevation than the start, the course is actually full of rolling hills of varying sizes. I wouldn't call it a particularly difficult course, but it's not as easy and fast as the website implies. Most of the course is on a small state highway that is not very picturesque, with little to no crowd support until you get into downtown Sacramento for the last mile or two. On the other hand, the race organization is absolutely top notch. The buses to the start line and all the logistics at the start worked extremely well. It's great that they let you hang out on the buses until the start, since it's pretty chilly until the sun comes up. There were lots of aid stations and they were run really well. They have plenty of pacers and mine did a great job. I would say if you're looking for a really well-organized race, on a neutral-to-slightly-fast course, this is a good choice. If you're looking for beautiful scenery or great crowd support, look elsewhere. | |
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J. L. from CA
(12/10/2015)
"Made for running fast" (about: 2015)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 California International Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 We stayed in a hotel near-ish to the Convention Center where the expo was and there was some stress early on about the check-out time but on the day they put up a sign saying marathoners could check out at noon without extra charge, and $35 if you stay past 12.30, and I think a full day's charge from 2pm. The buses leave EARLY on race day, and they are plentiful. It does however mean you're left to chill for over an hour in the dark in Folsom - you can stay on the bus though. The start line area had the most number of portapotties I've ever seen in my life which was wonderful. The course is rolling at times, but everyone is there to run fast. There's really good spectator support which surprised me and just goes to show that the SF Marathon is the odd one out in NorCal for having the least atmosphere. It's not the prettiest course out there, but again - you're there to run fast. The finish line is a bit of a pain because you run past the recovery area before turning a few corners to separated men's and women's chutes. | |
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K. D. from Bay Area, CA
(4/23/2015)
"My Hometown Marathon" (about: 2014)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 California International Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 To say this course is entirely downhill is false. A more accurate description would be, an easy rolling hill course from a higher elevation to a lower elevation. Practice on hills for this race - it will do you good. Support and organization are both fantastic. No complaints there. Massage tent does have an extremely long wait so I wouldn't even bother. I grew up in the Sacramento area so the course wasn't anything I haven't seen before (obviously). I would say it's just 'pleasant', nothing more or less. Weather varies every year. No way of telling you what it's going to be like. It could be freezing, pleasant, or stormy. Completely unpredictable. Nice medal and great swag gifts. Ends downtown with lots of places to go and celebrate afterwards. |
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