California International Marathon racing tips are difficult to find beyond the most basic advice. In this article, you will be presented with advanced strategies for runners of all levels looking to excel at CIM.
Whether you’re looking to run an Olympic Qualifying time, a Boston Qualifying time, or finish your first marathon, CIM provides the course, weather, crowd support, and so much more to help you achieve your aspirations.
The CIM course is a perfect net downhill to negative split. Back in December 2021, I did just that on my way to a sub-2:59 marathon finish.
One of the hardest things to do as a runner at any level is to negative split. Why? We all go out of the gates fresh and inspired. However, if we can tame that energy early on, the back half of CIM can provide an amazing finish with you achieving your goals.
Before we dive in, if you’re looking for a full breakdown of CIM weekend, go check out my post Ultimate Guide to the 2023 California International Marathon Weekend.
#1 Reason You Must Read This Article if Running CIM
You may be faster than me. You’re probably smarter than me (not hard to do). You might know running better than my 17 years of experience.
There’s one thing I know better than 99.9% of runners at that’s California International Marathon racing tips.
When I was applying to be a 2023 CIM ambassador, I asked for support from my followers who ended up helping a ton. One of those supporters said the following regarding me:
Aaron Truesdale ran a personal marathon record 2:32:38 at the 2022 California International Marathon thanks in small part to the similar advice I posted to Instagram in 2022.
Truesdale is a much faster and more talented runner than myself. Yet, my advice helped him on a personal marathon record day.
If these California International Marathon racing tips can help a 2:32 marathon runner, these marathon tips are guaranteed to help you.
If you’re running the California International Marathon this year or looking to in the future, this article will help you improve your race finish time by upwards of 5% solely from having course knowledge.
Learn from a Professional CIM Failure
I failed to achieve my BQ goals at CIM three times before finally capturing my first BQ at the 2019 CIM. There were plenty of sad CIM tears before the happy ones.
Failing is learning. I’ve learned so much from difficult times out on the California International Marathon course.
Through my failures, I hope to prevent some of those mistakes in your experience.
I can look back on my failings knowing that without that experience, I wouldn’t have had my success and the opportunity to help you have a successful CIM.
Essential CIM Running Tips for a Successful Marathon
If all you want is the quick strategy rundown for running a good race on the California International Marathon course, here it is. If you want more in-depth details, which I highly suggest, continue reading this article beyond the TL;DR.
TL;DR
- Slow Down the 1st Mile | The first mile is primarily straight downhill into a hill climb. Pull back your pace as the running crowds pull the pace too fast out the gates.
- Respect the Rollers | You can only lose the race in the first 10 miles of rollers, you can’t win it. There are better sections of the race later on to push the pace.
- Push the Pace Miles 13-18 | We’re through the rollers and on to gentle descent. Flat and fast so if you have it, increase the pace here.
- Last Hurrah | The crowd support is biggest in miles 20 & 21. Let the crowd propel you through the wall. The crowds thin out until mile 26 as family and friends try to make it to the finish.
- Just Get to the Bridge | The last uphill climb is at mile 21.5 at J Street Bridge then it’s flat and fast to the finish. When it’s tough up until 21.5, tell yourself, “Just get to the bridge.”
That’s the ‘too long; didn’t read’ breakdown. I promise this strategy will work, but if you really want to improve your California International Marathon results continue reading for the full breakdown.
Quick Note: If you want the full rundown on CIM weekend outside of the actual race tips, go check out my other article Ultimate Guide to the 2023 California International Marathon Weekend.
Overarching CIM Course Principles
I want to dive more into the TL;DR-specific tips later in this article. However, I think it’s good to first have an overall perspective on how to manage the California International Marathon course.
Most CIM talking points are net downhill, net downhill, and did I mention net downhill? Though the course is net downhill, it’s misleading.
The first ten miles and some would say the first half are rollers on rollers on rollers. By the 9-mile mark, you will think someone built these rollers into the course just to mess with CIM runners.
The following are general, but provide a good framework for course strategy.
1. Ease Up Early
- The Beginning: CIM starts with a gentle downhill. While it’s tempting to go out fast due to the downhill and race-day adrenaline, it’s crucial to start conservatively. Please don’t get pulled by the other runners into unmanageable paces in the first 2 miles.
- Pacing Strategy: Use the downhill to settle into a comfortable rhythm. Aim for even or slightly negative splits (running the second half of the race slightly faster than the first half).
2. Prepare for the Rolling Hills
- Course Profile: While CIM is net downhill, it includes several rolling hills, particularly within miles 3-10. There are more but this section has the majority.
- Hill Strategy: Maintain a steady effort, not pace, on the uphills, which means you’ll naturally slow down. You can make up time on the downhills. Conserve energy by avoiding pushing too hard on the uphills.
3. Get to the Bridge and Coast
- J Street Bridge Climb into Flat, Fast: If you can get to the bridge strong, you can fly on the other side.
- The Final Stretch: The last four miles of CIM are mostly flat. This is where you can pick up the pace if you have energy left.
There’s more to know about the course, but try to have these three mentioned concepts engrained by race day.
Additionally, there’s the following course preview video. They recorded this in a prior race ahead of the front pack on race day. Though you can’t get a full understanding of the rollers, you can get a visual for the course.
CIM Nutrition and Hydration Tips
Everyone has their own approach to marathon and running nutrition. CIM is no different than any other major marathon with plenty of water/fueling stations throughout the course.
The California International Marathon will be providing nuun Endurance at all 17 aid stations and Gu gels at 4 aid stations. All aid stations also have water.
My approach is to take water at every aid station at a minimum. I try to alternate nuun at each aid station.
As most runners know, you can’t “catch up” on hydration. Once you’re dehydrated, you’re done.
All I can say is don’t neglect hydration and electrolyte consumption early on as you are going through those rollers.
The CIM Tips to Improve Your Finish by 5%
I cannot stress how much I believe the following course knowledge and implemented strategy can drastically improve your CIM race day.
Do not take the following CIM tips lightly. If you can successfully implement these tips, you will be passing runners constantly in the second half of the race as they went out too fast, too hard.
Here’s a breakdown of my own 2021 negative split California International Marathon race:
My strategy was incredibly successful.
- From 15k to half marathon, I passed 41 runners.
- From half marathon to 30k, I passed 111 runners.
- From 30k to 40k, I passed another 111 runners.
- From 40k to finish, I passed 8 runners.
I’m not bragging. My strategy just works and can be implemented by all CIM runners of every level.
Why do I say these California International Marathon racing tips will improve your finish time by 5%?
I had gotten my marathon time down to around 3:20 prior to getting my first CIM BQ at 3:02. That difference is roughly 10%.
Once I sat down and broke the course up, I was able to focus on my CIM race day weak points. By doing so, I improved my finish time by that rough 10% mark.
If you can implement half of these California International Marathon racing tips or all of them half as well as I did, I believe you can see a 5% finish time improvement.
The following were noted at the beginning of this article within the TL;DR section, but I go into far more detail below. I’d highly suggest re-reading these the morning of CIM.
- Slow the F&*% Down the 1st Mile | The first .90 miles are as if you’re rolling down a hill. The speed at which most CIM runners carry in this first mile is in the range of 30 seconds per mile faster than the goal pace. This is far from ideal. I cannot stress how important it is to, at least, sit on your goal pace in this first mile by STARING AT YOUR GPS WATCH. Yes, people hate looking at their watch. If there was one mile to do so at the California International Marathon, it’s the first mile.
- Respect the Rollers | CIM runners don’t lose the race by losing their pace in miles 20-24. They lost the race because they went out too hard. There are slight rolling points throughout the first 20 miles, but the majority of rollers are the first 10 miles. I’d approach the first 10 miles as your warm-up. Sure, stay in the range of goal pace, but it is far better to be 5-8 seconds per mile off the pace after the first 10 miles than to be ahead of pace. Again, we are going for a negative split here. When going up each roller, implement marathon effort and not marathon pace. The effort will be slower than the pace. On the backside of each roller, let gravity do its work. Don’t try to “give it all you got” on the downhill. We are not trying to overload the heart rate on both sides of the roller.
- Push the Pace Miles 13-18 | We’re now past the majority of the rollers after the halfway mark. There’s a large crowd right after the halfway mark which propels you into mile marker 14. If you’re feeling good, this next 3-5 miles is the perfect area of the race to push the pace to goal or faster. In 2019 and 2021, I felt amazing here and ran 10-15 seconds faster per mile. This allowed me to negative split in 2021. I would start mile 14 trying to make up 30 seconds but every quarter mile or so test the waters at a faster pace.
- Last Hurrah | Around miles 20 through 21, there is a large, continuous crowd contingency helping push you through the wall. The good: this pushes you through some tough times. The bad: this crowd is the last major crowd support as this support now hurries their way to the finish 5-6 miles away in traffic. All this means is don’t get overhyped and push past your comfort at the 20-mile mark as right after mile 21, it can be lonely. The crowd support thinning out leads to plenty of mental hurdles through miles 22-24. Temper your emotions and pace when the crowd is present so when they aren’t in a mile, you can really manage your emotions and pace.
- Just Get to the Bridge | I’ve had some dark times at CIM. The one mantra that helps a ton is, “Just get to the bridge.” The J Street Bridge at mile 21.5 is the last bridge/uphill before you get flat and fast the last 4 miles or so. Whenever it gets tough in the race whether that’s mile 10 or 21, just tell yourself, “Just get to the bridge,” and although you still have 4 tough miles to go after the bridge, at least you’ve conquered the last hurdle.
Those are the big California International Marathon racing tips.
Honestly, I could do a mile-by-mile breakdown, but it would be too overwhelming and too much to focus on. I feel like a handful or so tips are enough to allow you to build a plan and be able to mentally stick to it when times are tough during the California International Marathon.
If you have any specific California International Marathon racing tips questions, feel free to send them my way via DM on Instagram @DavidDamron.
To conclude, I want you to go away from this article knowing that if you implement a race strategy based on my CIM knowledge, you will have success. Through this information, you can build out your mental and physical approach that will not only provide you the opportunity to survive, but thrive at the California International Marathon.
I hope you have an amazing day out there at the California International Marathon.
*Bonus Fun CIM Course Tips
The following are not strategic whatsoever. These are just fun aspects to appreciate during your race.
- My Favorite Place on the Course | Fair Oaks Village or Old Fair Oaks. – 10 mile mark. Honestly, I don’t know the “official” name of this old town area, but it comes right after the 10-mile marker and is one of the biggest water stations. The crowds are huge and loud here. It’s a reward after the last 10 miles of rollers. This area is probably a third of a mile long so try to be in the moment and enjoy it.
- The Mile That Didn’t Happen | Every year, I come upon the mile 14 marker and don’t realize I have just run a mile. As you pass the halfway mark (13.1), there’s this long transition area for the relay folks. This is also an easy area for people to park and cheer with a bunch of big strip mall parking lots. This mile flies by and you come out of it and there is the mile marker 14. It’s crazy how my brain just checks out in that mile.
- The Tunnel | Around mile 20.5, there’s a big shopping center so, again, a great location for people to park and that leads to this “tunnel” of supporters right around 20.5 to 21. It’s really cool as the supporters kind of push in and you’re running through what feels like a tunnel for 150 feet or so. It reminds me of the Brooklyn section of the NYC marathon.
- Any Pace Group | All the pacers are amazing. Running with the pace groups, they have a red sign with their goal finish time. This inevitably leads to the crowds going crazy when they see the pace groups. If you can sit with a pace group, you get so much more crowd support and that really can carry you throughout the race.
