California International Marathon Training Plan, Matched to You
Sacramento, CADecember 6, 2026
CIM is the course American runners whisper about when they talk about qualifying for Boston: a point-to-point, net-downhill run from Folsom to the State Capitol in Sacramento, in reliably cool December air, with a field full of people chasing the exact same goal.
The secret everyone learns by mile 10: CIM is net downhill, not flat downhill. The first half rolls relentlessly, and runners who bomb the descents pay for it on the Capitol grid. Stride matches you to a plan that builds the legs, and the patience, this course rewards.
139 days to race day
California International Marathon · December 6, 2026 · about 19 weeks out
Most Stride plans run 12 to 20 weeks. Wherever you are in the window, Stride maps your plan from today to the start line, never from an idealized week one.
14 plans. One that fits how you’ll get to Sacramento.
Stride’s marathon plans are built on the most proven training methodologies in the sport, from run-walk first finishes to high-mileage qualifying builds. Stride doesn’t hand you a template; it matches your experience, mileage, and schedule to the plan a coach would have picked, then maps every week from today to race day at the California International Marathon.
- Stride Run-Walk FinisherThree sessions a week with planned walk breaks, cover the full distance before race day.
- Stride First MarathonThe classic four-day first-marathon build: easy running and one weekly long run, no speedwork.
- Stride First Marathon PlusA first-marathon build with a little more volume and weekly race-pace miles.
- Stride 6-Day FinisherFinish your first marathon on frequency: six easy-leaning runs a week, no monster long runs.
- Stride 5-Day Pace BuilderFive days a week with race-pace runs before your long runs, built for a mid-pack time goal.
- Stride 6-Day RhythmSix days a week with three quality sessions, steady fatigue that teaches you to finish strong.
- Stride Time-Based FoundationFive time-based runs a week, mostly easy, the injury-averse way to a strong finish.
- Stride Time-Based BuilderSix time-based runs a week at a strict 80% easy / 20% hard split, chase a time goal without breaking.
- Stride 3-Day Cross-TrainThree runs plus two cross-training days over 24 weeks, marathon fitness on a busy schedule.
- Stride 3-Day QualityExactly three hard runs plus two mandatory cross-training sessions, every workout counts.
- Stride 6-Day CumulativeThe six-day cumulative-fatigue build with quality from week two, for PR chasers with a base.
- Stride Threshold 55The serious BQ/PR build to 55 miles a week: threshold work, medium-long runs, and 20-milers.
- Stride Threshold 70The high-mileage BQ/PR build to 70 miles a week for veterans with a deep base.
- Stride 2-Quality FlexTwo fixed quality sessions a week, everything else flexible easy running, fits any schedule.
Not sure which one is yours? That’s what Stride is for. Download the app and get matched and it picks for you.
The course: rollers first, reward later
From Folsom the course loses a few hundred feet on its way to downtown Sacramento, but it does it in waves: the first 20 miles roll continuously, short downhills into short rises, over and over. The classic CIM line is that it's a downhill course that somehow includes a lot of uphill. The final 10K flattens onto Sacramento's street grid, straight and fast, with the Capitol pulling you in.
Run right, the rollers are free speed: relax down each descent, hold effort (not pace) up each rise, and the elevation loss accumulates quietly in your favor. Run wrong, hammering every downhill in the first hour, and the quads send the bill at mile 21 on the pancake-flat grid where there's nothing left to hide behind.
How to train for CIM
Train rolling terrain at steady effort. The single most CIM-specific skill is letting pace float on rollers while effort stays level; practice it on every long run with terrain. Add some sustained downhill running so the eccentric load of a net-descent race day is old news to your quads.
December race, fall buildup: your biggest weeks land in October and November's ideal weather. Race morning is often near-freezing at the Folsom start with fog on the course; rehearse throwaway layers, and don't let a cold start trick you into surging warm.
Getting in
Open registration with a capped field: no lottery, no qualifying standards. CIM's reputation as the West's great qualifying course means it fills; register when you commit to the buildup.
California International Marathon questions, answered.
How long do I need to train for CIM?
Most Stride marathon plans run 12 to 20 weeks, and CIM's December date gives you a prime fall buildup. Get matched in the app and every week from today to Sacramento gets mapped, including long runs you can point at rolling terrain.
Is CIM downhill the whole way?
No, and that's the trap. It's net downhill from Folsom to the Capitol, but the first 20 miles roll constantly. Runners who race the descents early blow up on the flat final 10K. Steady effort over the rollers is the whole strategy.
Why is CIM famous as a BQ course?
Net elevation loss, cool December air, a fast flat finish, and a field dense with runners pacing for qualifying standards, so you will have company at your goal pace from the first mile. It's earned its reputation.
Does CIM require a qualifying time to enter?
No. It's open registration with a capped field that typically sells out, so sign up early once you've committed.
Your race is the center of everything.
Every week between now and your start line, planned. Download Stride and start training today.
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