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Apr 27, 2024

California International Marathon Runner Comments

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Course 4.4

Organization 4.3

Spectators 4.2

Number of comments: 231 [displaying comments 41 to 51]

More Comments: [ < 1 .. 3 4 5 6 7 .. 24 > ]

m. l. from New York (12/6/2012) "Fantastic volunteers in worst conditions" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 California International Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 Well manned aid stations. Good marathon, nice course. No clocks at all on the course. I never found any food other than chocolate milk. Heard there were pancakes. Odd choices for a post race meal.
J. B. from Ohio (12/4/2012) "Wet But Fun!" (about: 2012) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 California International Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 I came from Cincinnati to run this race based upon what I read (and heard from a couple people who had run it). They do a good job of marketing this race as one of the fastest courses (if not the fastest in the US). I really don't think the elevation drop of 300 feet over 26 miles is that much of a benefit. I drove the course the day prior and I found that it is a rolling course for most the way, with up and down grades. I can't say there are any 'hills' on this course, just up and down grades. So you do get the benefit of the down grades and have to work a bit up grade but it evens out and keeps the course interesting. I heard the last 6 were 'flat as a pancake' but that's not really true. Maybe the last 2 miles are. But the course is fine, I just don't think there is much benefit to the elevation drop they mention in their marketing efforts. Pros: Gently rolling point to point course Fairly scenic Great organization Chocolate milk at finish Bus pickup at hotel on race morning Being able to stay on the buses prior to start Ample water stops (see Cons) Expo was a manageable size and easy to navigate Nice shirt Easily BQ'd Cons: Some water stops at beginning didn't seem to be fully manned by volunteers most likely due to the weather but who can blame them. Had to pay for a cab ride back from finish to hotel which is about $20. No time kept on the course (not sure if this was due to the weather). I would recommend this race. Its a good one. I won't likely run it again as I am from out of town and there are so many others I would like to do.
D. C. from San Francisco, CA (12/3/2012) "great first marathon" (about: 2012) 1 previous marathon \| 1 California International Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I ran the marathon this year and although I was initially worried about the rain and wind, it turned out to not bad at all. Maybe a bit slow, but plenty of runners did good times. General comments: the course was more scenic than I expected, with nice variation to keep things interesting, finishing with the long run in East Sacramento and to the capital. Aid stations were plentiful and well organized. Spectators were fantastic. Volunteers were amazing. Start and finish were well organized. Results were rapid with excellent split times. The only downer for me was the finish food wasn't to my liking (Bisquick-like pancakes, bad bagels, and green bananas) but there's no shortage of nearby food so even with nothing at the finish it would have been 5-stars.
Tyler McCandless from Colorado (9/27/2012) "Fastest course you can run!" (about: 2010) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 California International Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I did this race in 2010 as my first marathon hoping to hit the Olympic Trials Qualifying mark of <2:19:00 and ended up running 2:17:22. I know it's been described as a net downhill course so therefore fast, but it's even faster than that because the uphills are generally shorter and steeper while the downhills are longer and lower grade. The first 20 miles you can really fly, but then you enter the city and it's perfectly flat. I highly recommend doing this course sometime - but be sure to prepare for the downhills! In terms of organization and spectators - both were great! A lot of aid stations and plenty of people cheering you on the whole way.
C. L. from Cleveland, OH (1/27/2012) "SO MUCH POTENTIAL" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 California International Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 5 CIM is so close to being a big time race. To do this though they HAVE to sort out a few things, which can easily be done. 1. Get rid of Ultima - Not sure about all the scientific reasons, but bottom line it is AWFUL and I quickly stuck with water 2. Water stations were a mess, way too small for a marathon of this size 3. Finish area - confusing and poor. I never did find the food, though once i saw the pancakes I had no interest, c'mon give us something other than bananas and health stuff. Also took some time to find the bag drop area. 4. Charging to take the bus to the start, this should be part of the cost. (or at least hide it in the cost :)) On the plus size this race has so much going for it: 1. Great point to point course comparable to Grandma's (those who complain it's boring, remember it's 26 bloody miles!!) 2. Fans, I've run 19 marathons and their support and sheer number of spectators are just behind Boston and Chicago. Ive run several supposedly rock n roll bands and this race had more bands, music than any other I've run! 3. Plenty of water stations, now if only they make them bigger and offer another sports drink. 4. Great area, be sire to check out Old Town where the street is like how it was in the Wild West. We also spent extra nights in Sonoma and San Francisco. Overall a great trip and race, even though I pulled a muscle after 13 and basically limped in. Still very enjoyable and the main problems can easily be fixed.
M. C. from West Sacramento, CA (12/13/2011) "Relay: Second Two Legs 12.9 miles" (about: 2011) 3 previous marathons \| 1 California International Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 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.
B. G. from Cupertino, CA (12/9/2011) "Feedback on the Marathon Relay" (about: 2011) 4-5 previous marathons \| 2 California International Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 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.
D. S. from Red Lodge MT (12/9/2011) "An excellent marathon gets even better" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 2 California International Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 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.
K. H. from Wilmette, IL (12/9/2011) "Outstanding. Run this race!" (about: 2011) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 California International Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 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.
A. Y. from California (12/8/2011) "What a pleasure!" (about: 2011) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 California International Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 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!

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