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CIM (California International)

Course guide & time predictor

CIM (California International)

Folsom to Sacramento, CA

The fastest qualifier in the country

Elevation gain

375 ft

Course difficulty

0.2% faster than Berlin

Race month

December

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About the race

CIM is the most popular Boston Qualifier race in America — and for good reason. It's fast, weather-reliable, and specifically designed for goal-time running. If you have a BQ target and the fitness to hit it, CIM in December gives you the best possible conditions to execute. The point-to-point course runs from Folsom to downtown Sacramento.

Course profile

110 meters of net downhill over 42.2 km — the maximum legal under USATF certification rules. The drop is real and the benefit is real, but CIM is not a freebie: there's 375 feet of total elevation gain through rolling terrain, and the quads will feel the descent by mile 18. Runners who go out too aggressively in the first half pay for it in miles 20–26. Stay relaxed, trust the course, and the time will come.

Race-day conditions

The first Sunday in December in Sacramento: 35–50°F at the start, overcast, dry. It's the most weather-reliable major marathon in the US. Rain is possible but rare. You will almost certainly race in ideal conditions.

Using the predictor

CIM has a difficulty rating of 0.998 — fractionally faster than Berlin. Your CIM time is a legitimate PR and a legitimate BQ attempt. Use the predictor to set a specific goal pace before race day. On this course, a well-paced race beats the gun.

Boston qualifying standards

CIM is the most popular Boston qualifier race in the US. The standards below are the official BAA minimums — in most years the effective cutoff runs 5–7 minutes faster than the published standard, so plan accordingly.

Age groupMenWomen
18–343:00:003:30:00
35–393:05:003:35:00
40–443:10:003:40:00
45–493:20:003:50:00
50–543:25:003:55:00
55–593:35:004:05:00
60–643:50:004:20:00
65–694:05:004:35:00
70–744:20:004:50:00
75–794:35:005:05:00
80+4:50:005:20:00

In 2024, the cutoff was 5 minutes 29 seconds faster than the qualifying standard. Plan to beat your standard by at least 5 minutes to have a strong chance of registration.

Common questions

Is CIM a good course for a Boston qualifier attempt?

CIM is the best BQ course in the US. It has the optimal combination of fast course (net downhill, 0.998 difficulty multiplier), reliable December weather (35–50°F, rarely cancels or runs hot), and a large field of goal-oriented runners so you'll always have company at your target pace. More BQ times are run at CIM than any other US marathon.

How much does the CIM downhill actually help?

CIM's 110-meter net drop makes it fractionally faster than Berlin — about 0.2%. On a 3:30 finish, that's roughly 25 seconds. The benefit is real but modest; it won't make up for insufficient training or poor pacing. The bigger advantage is the reliable weather and the course's flatness in the critical second half.

When does CIM registration open?

CIM registration typically opens in January or February for the December race. It sells out — usually within hours of opening once the wait list from previous years is accommodated. The race is capped at approximately 9,000 runners. Check the official CIM website (runsra.org/cim) for registration dates.

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