---
title: "California International Marathon Elevation Profile & Course Map | TrainPace"
description: "California International Marathon elevation profile: 45 m gain and 107 m loss over 42.195 km, with segment pacing, fueling notes, and race tips."
url: https://trainpace.com/preview-route/california-international
---

# California International Marathon Elevation Profile & Course Analysis

California International Marathon elevation profile: 45 m gain and 107 m loss over 42.195 km, with segment pacing, fueling notes, and race tips.

## California International Marathon course facts

CIM is known as one of the fastest courses in America, featuring a net downhill profile from Folsom to Sacramento. Popular for Boston qualifying attempts and PRs.

**California International Marathon at a glance**

| Metric | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Location | Sacramento, California, USA |
| Distance | 42.195 km |
| Elevation gain | 45 m (148 ft) |
| Elevation loss | 107 m (351 ft) |
| Start / finish elevation | 115 m / 8 m |
| Official site | https://runsra.org/california-international-marathon/ |

## California International Marathon pacing strategy

CIM's net downhill is a gift, but you must respect it. Don't go out too fast in the first half - the quads-destroying downhill can catch up to you.

**Pacing by course segment (miles)**

| Miles | Terrain | Advice |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 1-5 | Gradual downhill | Rolling start in Folsom. Resist going fast. Save your quads. |
| 6-12 | Gradual downhill | Steady descent. This is where people blow up by going too fast. |
| 13-18 | Flattening | Course flattens as you approach Sacramento. Assess your legs. |
| 19-23 | Mostly flat | Through Sacramento neighborhoods. The downhill advantage is over. |
| 24-26 | Flat finish | Finish at the State Capitol. If you ran smart, you'll PR here. |

## Fueling notes

The downhill profile changes muscle recruitment - quads take a beating. Standard fueling works but your legs may tire differently than a flat course.

## Race-day tips

- Net downhill course - excellent for BQ attempts and PRs
- December weather is usually cool and ideal
- Point-to-point: don't let the downhill start fool you
- Large pace groups for Boston qualifying times

## Frequently asked questions

### Is CIM good for Boston qualifying?

Yes! CIM is one of the most popular BQ courses. The net downhill (107m drop), December weather, and large pace groups make it ideal for qualifying attempts.

### How much downhill is CIM?

CIM has a net elevation drop of 107m (340ft) from Folsom to Sacramento. It's gradual enough to not destroy your quads if you run smart.

### Is CIM harder than it looks?

Yes. Many runners go out too fast on the downhill start and pay for it in the second half. Run even effort, not even pace, especially in miles 1-12.

### What's the weather like at CIM?

December in Sacramento is usually cool: 4-12°C (40-54°F). Can be foggy at the start. Generally excellent marathon conditions.

- [California International Marathon race prep: paces and fueling](https://trainpace.com/race/california-international-marathon)

## Other TrainPace tools

- [Pace Calculator](https://trainpace.com/calculator) — training paces from a recent race result
- [VDOT Calculator](https://trainpace.com/vdot) — fitness score and equivalent race times
- [Training Plan Builder](https://trainpace.com/plan) — week-by-week 5K to marathon plans
- [Race Fuel Planner](https://trainpace.com/fuel) — carbs per hour and gel counts
- [Elevation Finder](https://trainpace.com/elevation-finder) — GPX route and climb analysis

## For AI agents

Every public page on this site has a Markdown mirror at the same path with a .md suffix (for example /calculator.md), and honors an Accept: text/markdown request header on the HTML URL. The calculations here are also available as callable tools through a free public MCP server — no account or API key.

- [llms.txt](https://trainpace.com/llms.txt) — site index for agents
- [llms-full.txt](https://trainpace.com/llms-full.txt) — every page's Markdown in one file
- [MCP server docs](https://trainpace.com/mcp) — endpoint, tools, and client setup