I ran the full in 2007 and vowed to not run the full again until I can beat the 6 hour course limit. Thank goodness for the relay. I ran the second two legs. I live in Sacramento, I know the road well and included hills in my training. The shuttle service was top notch. To correct a previous review, there was a gear check a the relay stations. You left your bag on the bus and it was taken to the finish.
The weather was perfect, the spectators enthusiastic, aid stations ample although I did not care for the Ultima drink yuk. It was so nice to run a race in my home city. I'm glad I stayed away from the horrors of Las Vegas. Hey guys, come to Sacramento!!!
I plan to train extra hard to run the full in 2012: The 30th anniversary of the race.
Folks remember this is NOT a downhill race. It is NET downhill. The first half of the race is lots of big rolling hills. From Manzanita and Fair Oaks to Sac State it's gentle rolling hills. From Sac State to the Capitol it is pancake flat. Please include hills in your training.

In 2009 I ran the marathon here, but this year I ran the middle two legs (14.5mi) of the relay. The relay organization was not as good as the marathon organization. We were told there would be bag checks at the relay stations, but there were not (we had to hand our bags off to the previous runner on the team). The bus shuttles were very convenient to each stop from downtown. We were one of the top teams, so I didnt have to wait very long after arriving at the exchange point. For slower teams, the wait (especially for the 4th runner) could be several hours. I didnt take the bus back downtown, so I dont know how long the wait was (I had been worried about that).

It also felt very strange knowing I was going to finish at the 20.5 mile mark while everyone I was running with had to continue almost 6 more miles. I didn't enjoy that, and for that reason, I dont think I'd do the relay again.

If you like mid-size marathons like I do, I don't know where you can do better than the CIM. And I say this despite my having just missed a PR both times I've run it ('08 and '11). That means I could gripe about the hills or the temp or the Ultima or the fluid stations; but with all the great advice right on this website, there's no excuse for not being well prepared for everything you encounter. In other words, if you're steamed about your results, LOOK IN THE MIRROR. Here are a few facts:
1. I live in the Montana Rockies and know cold; CIM is not cold, in Folsom or anywhere else. Weather service said 28 F at the start his year and I can assure you if it was below 40 it was a matter of 1-2 degrees.
2. The hills for me are ideal, just enough up for regular breaks so the ham stress keeps you from overusing the quads. If you can't stand any hills, stick to track & field.
3. Ultima, Schmultima. It's a sports drink, the flavor is wretched ... what else is new? People who say it's low in carbs or whatever either a) haven't read the ingredients list or b) are world-class marathoners who should have their crew providing their own unique fluid.
4. Fluid station organization has been greatly improved. Water was first and Ultima second at every station. Sure, the kids at some stops get bright ideas like standing on both sides of the road, but management can't totally prevent that.
5. Finish line organization has also noticeably improved (between '08 and '11). Entry to the best food areas is way better controlled. Pancakes (made on the spot) are a great idea; so is chocolate milk.
6. Organization of the expo, busses, start line, etc. are by far the best of any marathon I've run.
7. Sacramento is a great location, not just for weather (ideal), but a city small enough to navigate easily but big enough for tons of hotels, restaurants (stay to celebrate with dinner at Ella), and flights in & out.

Awesome race. I traveled from the Chicago area and it was well worth it. Good size expo but not too crowded. Easy to get in and out, but also plenty of stuff and good speakers. Convenient bus to the start that gets you there with plenty of time. TONS of porta-potties at the start...seriously I've never seen so many, it was terrific. Convenient bag check. Awesome pacers and plenty of room to run. The course is rolling in the first 17-18 miles, but if you are ready for that it is really fast...definitely the fastest course I've ever done. The rollers help to break up the monotony of the scenery as well (although it's quite nice at the start with the fall colors on country roads and very nice at the end once you get into Sacramento). Great pace teams. Awesome aid stations, with little bottled waters you could take with you if you needed. Well organized finish, with plenty of room to move around (and also pretty, right in front of the state capitol). Maybe my only gripe is that the spectator support was just OK, but that's not a huge deal for me. And to top it all off, the weather was absolutely perfect for running. CIM is a runner's race, they get just about everything right. Highly recommended.

I just ran my PR BQ race on this course last weekend. It was my 12th marathon, and this has to be one of the best experiences. The course was tougher in the beginning than I had anticipated with rolling hills, but it made the last half of the race seem easier. But what was most impressive was the way in which the aid stations were spaced out. As I was getting hotter and more thirsty in the last half of the race, aid stations were spaced more closely. Just as I needed some water, there it was! The pace team was amazing and knew the course so well that she could call out hills, best line to take on turns, and when to push it. The crowd of supporters never petered out, and there was no time I felt like I was running alone. All around, excellent experience!

This is a point to point race. A bus ride from the hotel was $20.00 but, I wonder how many people pay. Last, yr. it was $10.00. Plus, the drivers took the scenic route in the dark. The course itself had alot of rolling hills. But, after mile 22 it went fast and flat. No head winds on the course (it was very windy the day before). It wasn't too crowded at the hydration areas. Great crowd support from spectators. I think if your representing a popular group or have your name on it helps. You had to charge the hills to appreciate the little downhills on the course. Overall a great experience.

Ran CIM for the first time this past Sunday and will now continue to run it every year I can. After hearing all of the horror stories about RnR Las Vegas and other marathons it's nice to have participated in a marathon that catered to every runner type (qualifiers and recreational runners). The expo was excellent with many types of clinics offered. Sacramento itself has changed a lot from when I was last there to become a vibrant city with a thriving downtown and midtown full of nice little restaurants, bars, shops, and galleries (check out Time Tested Books!). The bus line, while long, moved along quickly and efficiently. Don't bother with the bus number you're assigned to, you're herded to the next available bus. If you want to sit with your friends make sure you all line up together. I love how you're able to stay in the heated buses until 5 minutes before the start. Plenty of porta potties with minimal wait time. The course is lined with well stocked aid stations and enthusiastic volunteers. There is always someone on the course cheering you on. Each community throws a little town party to cheer on the runners. So you get these patches of 7 huge party like celebrations throughout the course that keeps you moving. Most knowledgeable and enthusiastic crowd support I've ever witnessed. Finish line area was very well managed and volunteers moved runners along efficiently. Pancake breakfast and other post race food (chocolate milk!) was very well done. Large area for reunions and to hang out. Gear bag check retrieval was very well done and efficient. Best marathon to date! You can tell runners organized this event!

I really like running this marathon, as it's usually very cold at the start and somewhat close-ish to my home, but there are a few things people should understand before deciding to run CIM: First, it ain't so easy. The race management heavily promotes it as a super fast Boston qualifier, and on their website, they've been using Bert Yassos' quote that it's 'A super fast -if not the fastest- marathon in the west' for years now. The course does have an altitude loss of 300+ feet, yet the first 17 miles are nothing but rolling hills, one after another after another. Not hard hills, but constant hills. Ya need to do your hill work.

Second, they serve Altima as a marathon drink. As previously mentioned by another reviewer, it has no carbs, no sugar and the vitamins provided in the drink won't do anything for you until the following day or so. In short, if you're relying on it to give you ANYTHING that might be beneficial to your run you'll be sorely disappointed. Never mind that Altima is one of the races' biggest financial sponsor. In the end, we'd probably be better off if Koolaid took over the drink sponsorship, as at least it has some sugar in it.

Anyway, I still like this race, and will continue to put it on my race calendar every few years or so.

I ran the 2011 CIM this past weekend and thoroughly enjoyed it. I second the comments that the course isn't flat at all nor is it what you envision when they say 'fast downhill.' I was expecting many long downhill stretches with some intermittent ups and it was a lot of short uphill rollers with a couple of sort of steep downhills that make up most of the elevation loss. if you look very closely at the course elevation map you can get an idea of this. definitely find hills in your training and work 'em.

the organization was top-notch. we started dead on time, which may be a first. the huge number of potties at the start was a blessing. for some reason i thought there were going to be potties at every mile, and there weren't but they were plentiful enough. spectators were everywhere and they were enthusiastic this year. many times there would be two or three kids standing together in a random spot cheering like crazy. felt good that they'd come out that early in the morning. loads of really enthusiastic folks in the last mile when you really need it. i got a big boost from them and finished stronger than i expected. a very animated, fun volunteer that was pointing me toward the women's finish chute as i rounded the final corner was wonderful. i finished with a big smile because of him/her. weather was flawless - perfect!

i recommend this race and will do it again myself.

2011 was the first time I ran CIM. I've read the comments about the previous CIMs and I must say that the 2011 edition was simply so much better than what it was made out to be by several past participants. First of all, the course is not 'ugly' at all. In fact, it was a good mix of rolling highways, suburbs and urban areas. It wasn't mountains and the ocean but it wasn't bad either. Second, the crowds were very enthusiatic all throughout and came out to cheer even if it was very chilly for most of the day. Third, the rolling course is just perfect. Yes, it's a net downhill course and it felt like one, but there were enough small hills to keep you interested and focused. I can see why many runners PR and BQ here because the last 10k is really just flat and fast. I would love to run CIM again and I had to fly 14,000 miles to run it!