Perfect conditions and BIG fun! Great organization and I love the shirts! (A bit chaotic at the finish, though.) PR'd by 20 minutes so, yeah, I'll be back next year!!! Thanks, Sacramento! GREAT fans out there in the cold, cheering us on with music and great enthusiasm!

Great Race. I got qualified for Boston and earned a great PR to boot. Grant Carboni, the (3:45) pace guy, was superb. He helped with the nutrition and the hills. We did not even notice the hills with his guidance.

A 3:45:18 chip time gets me in for my age group.

The only thing to improve is to get the food at the end within the closed area so that runners could get to things. I elected to skip everything as there were to many people around blocking the way. Next year keep everyone out of the finish area.

Again, Grant was the pace guy to pull me through!

This was my first marathon. I had a great time. The crowd support was awesome. This one puts the bar up high!

I just returned home from running CIM. I enjoyed the marathon, but compared to others, I would give it an average rating.

The aid station placement was random and they were quite small. The course is OK, but compared to other marathons I have run (Grandma's, Twin Cities, Madison, Green Bay, Boston), it's very average. It is running down a 4-lane road with strip malls and homes. Although it's nice as you get close to the finish (mile 23). I agree it's relatively fast. The shirts were quite nice. With all of the great marathons out there, I think CIM thrives because there are not a lot of other fast courses at this time of year.

A very well run event. Other races could learn a lot from how this "bus to the start" event is run.

Nice course. It is net downhill, but also has some inclines (rolling). Hill training should be a steady diet on your long runs for your preparation. The start is nice and wide, with little hindering traffic. I ran 2:55 and had just the right amount of company from other runners almost the whole way. Aid stations were great.

I heard from others that getting gels on the course was not easy, but I carried my own.

I don't know about the food after the race. I had people meet me at the finish with my clothing and only had a couple of bottles of water after along with a few snacks that I had packed.

The only weakness is the results. They are hard to read and were slow to be posted online. They are still preliminary after 6 days. There are some obvious problems as well in the results, so I will wait and see if they disqualify some of the folks who ran 60 minutes or so for the second half of the race. People like chip timing, but it does present problems in trying to get the results to be correct since there is little in the way of redundant checking.

It would be nice to have a few more timing mats on the course, but that is not something that is really needed on a point-to-point course to catch cheaters.

All miles were clearly marked with sign and tall feather flags for easy spotting. The half had a timing mat and the 20K and 30K were also marked. I never saw a 10K or 40K sign.

It would be nice if there were a more proper companion race rather than the 2.62 mile fun run. I would think an out-and-back 10K or something would work, but then again, they have something that really works so well as just a marathon.

The level of competition was also very tough. Tons of very good runners.

Compared to a race like Dallas Marathon, this one wins hands down.

This was a nice race overall, but could benefit from some improvements.

The pros:
* Fast course. The hills are minor. The declines are gradual. Fast times are possible.
* Easy-to-see mile markers.
* Good expo.
* Lots of very helpful volunteers.
* Good website.
* Gear check was easy, and pickup at the end was better than most events.
* At many mile markers volunteers called out the time, the average pace, and the projected finish time. This was appreciated.

Some cons:
* Aid stations were disorganized. Sometimes water at the first tables, sometimes Gu2O first, sometimes no Gu2O. Needs consistency.
* As mentioned by another, cups were too small, so it was a challenge to get enough to drink at some aid stations.
* Course was not scenic at all, but on the other hand, the streets were wide and provided plenty of room for all from start to finish.
* Crowds were scarce and quiet. Only in a couple of spots were the crowds loud and supportive. Mostly they were quiet and seemingly looking to offer support only to the person(s) they knew.
* Finish area needs some help. Too crowded with spectators, families, and support crews. Food was uninspired - cookies, Popsicles, cold beverage, or other relatively simple items would have been a big improvement over apples, bananas, relatively warm water, and lentil soup.

The weather was excellent, although a little windy. The bus ride to the start at 5 a.m. was awfully early, but on a point-to-point course this wasn't unusual.

Overall, I found CIM to be a well done event, but with a few areas of improvement, it could be outstanding. I'd recommend it particularly for an experienced marathon runner who is looking for a fast time - because all the essentials are there for a PR, but because of some of the organizational issues it might not be the optimal experience for a first-timer.

The expo was well organized with a good representation of vendors and promotional booths for other major marathons. Plenty of free samples including Starbuck's hot chocolate with whipped cream, and a good variety of inspirational guest speakers. (I was inspired by the Dick Beardsley presentation.)

Race number and chip pick up were smooth. The 25th anniversary edition goody sack included a nice, black, nylon, drawstring bag and a gray, all-weather, long-sleeve shirt. (I was a little surprised the date isn't listed on the shirt anywhere.)

Everything about the race seems to be oriented on getting runners to finish peak performances.

There are pace group leaders for every time segment from 3:10, 3:15, and in 15-minute increments up to 5 hours. The multicolor 25th race edition magazine as well as the website list qualifying times for Boston by sex and age group.

The fan support along the route is amazing. I put the headphones on my iPod around my neck and didn't once bother or need to listen to it on course. There was plenty of entertainment from high school bands, to the Rocky Theme (miles 8 and 18), and a guy playing Chariots of Fire on a flute, as well as 80s classic rock.

The course is (very) moderately rolling, and the second half is slightly hillier than the first.

A special thanks to the US Army National guard soldiers and the City of Sacramento Police who guarded roads between miles 22 and 24.

The post-race amenities were a little tricky to find - obscured from view about 150 meters from the finish line. They included orange slices, bagels, and PowerBars cut into very small units. I didn't consider the portions very generous - but then again the early entry fee for this event was very reasonable and low relative to others.

As to the soup, Red Bull, coffee, etc., I sure didn't see any - but I finished in just under 5 hours. Once again, this event generally caters to the faster runner.

The multi-colored giant ("coaster") medal displays the race's traditional logo.

It was a great race overall, and I set a PR here. The start was organized and the rolling hills began immediately.

The pace team was wonderful and I found that running 20 yards in front of him thinned out the pack. If I ran in the pace group, it was heel to heel.

Water stations seemed to be really close mile to mile, then far. Very inconsistent. Next time I will wear a fuel belt. The volunteers were great as always.

Bring your own Gu.

Finish line was awful:
I was dizzy and tired and surrounded by kids, families and random people. The post-run food booths were filled by non-runners eating breakfast by the handfuls. Not fair to those running longer. It is amazing how some saw this as "let's meet at the finish for bagels and soup." As said earlier by another poster, they need to fence off the finish area; it is too confusing and dangerous after running 26.2 miles to fight crowds and wait in line for water.

First time at CIM this year and enjoyed the entire experience. The course is fast as advertised. I think people read too much into the word "downhill" as I look through the other comments. Even with a net downhill course, you still need to run 26.2 miles! Changing gears through those small, rolling hills helped keep the legs feeling fresh. I will recommend this race to friends and I will be back next year.

This was my first marathon, and while my goal was to finish under 4 hours, I ended up with a Boston qualifying time of 3:33! The pacers and spectators were great motivators. My only complaints are the lack of Gu packs on the course (I'll bring my own next year) and the pillaging of the post-race food by non-runners. I witnessed two older local women filling up shopping bags with bagels and bananas. We eventually just left the area to get some food, but I would have loved to stay and enjoy the festivities. I definitely agree with the other comments that the finish area needs to be roped off.