California International Marathon pace plan

A point-to-point course from Folsom to the State Capitol in downtown Sacramento, downhill overall with rolling ground in the first half. The splits below come from the organiser's official course map, run through the same grade-adjusted model as the planner: easier on the climbs, quicker on the descents, adding up to your goal time.

Distance: 26.2 mi; 42.2 km
Climbing: 113 m; 216 m of descent
Start to finish: −102 m; 109 m to 6 m above sea level
High point: 109 m; at mi 0.0

Elevation profile and where the plan eases or presses

One bar per mi. Colour shows the terrain, height shows altitude.

0 mi6.613.1 · HALF19.726.2 mi

The California International Marathon runs downhill overall

It finishes 102 m lower than it starts, but the drop is spread over the whole course, so at 3:30:00 every full mile stays between 7:39 and 8:23. No single climb gains more than 13 m; these rises are where the plan eases most.

mi 7.3 to 7.6+10 m at 1.9%slowest target 8:06 /mi at 3:30:00, against an average of 8:01
mi 8.0 to 9.0+10 m at 0.6%slowest target 8:23 /mi at 3:30:00, against an average of 8:01
mi 11.1 to 11.4+12 m at 2.3%slowest target 8:05 /mi at 3:30:00, against an average of 8:01

California International Marathon splits by goal time

Halves are the graded plan’s own split, not your goal divided by two: where the course climbs or drops more in one half, the plan spends more or less time there.

California International Marathon graded splits for common goal times, per mi
Goal	Average /mi	First half	Second half	Quickest /mi	Slowest /mi
3:00:00	6:52	1:29:35	1:30:25	6:33	7:11
3:30:00	8:01	1:44:30	1:45:30	7:39	8:23
4:00:00	9:09	1:59:26	2:00:34	8:45	9:35
4:30:00	10:18	2:14:22	2:15:38	9:50	10:47
5:00:00	11:27	2:29:18	2:30:42	10:56	11:59

Your California International Marathon pace band

Pick a goal time for the full mi-by-mi plan. To print the band, save the race to a free account and upload the course file.

Goal finish time

Splits in

Average 8:01 /mi

0–4 mi▼

7:50

4–8 mi–

8:03

8–12 mi–

7:59

12–16 mi–

8:05

16–20 mi–

7:59

20–24.0 mi–

8:04

24–26.2 mi–

8:06

Pace band: target pace per mi range, summing to 3:30:00.

#	Segment	Dist	Gradient	Elev Δ	Terrain	Target pace	Split	Cumulative
01	0.0–1.0 mi	1.0	−1.1%	+1 / -19	DESCENT	7:39 /mi	7:39	7:39
02	1.0–2.0 mi	1.0	−0.0%	+12 / -13	FLAT	8:06 /mi	8:06	15:45
03	2.0–3.0 mi	1.0	−1.0%	+2 / -17	DESCENT	7:42 /mi	7:42	23:26
04	3.0–4.0 mi	1.0	−0.4%	+5 / -12	FLAT	7:55 /mi	7:55	31:22
05	4.0–5.0 mi	1.0	−0.2%	+4 / -7	FLAT	8:02 /mi	8:02	39:23
06	5.0–6.0 mi	1.0	−0.3%	+4 / -9	FLAT	8:00 /mi	8:00	47:24
07	6.0–7.0 mi	1.0	−0.1%	+9 / -10	FLAT	8:04 /mi	8:04	55:28
08	7.0–8.0 mi	1.0	−0.0%	+10 / -10	FLAT	8:06 /mi	8:06	1:03:34
09	8.0–9.0 mi	1.0	+0.6%	+11 / -1	FLAT	8:23 /mi	8:23	1:11:58
10	9.0–10.0 mi	1.0	−0.7%	+1 / -12	FLAT	7:49 /mi	7:49	1:19:47
11	10.0–11.0 mi	1.0	−1.0%	+9 / -25	DESCENT	7:40 /mi	7:40	1:27:27
12	11.0–12.0 mi	1.0	−0.1%	+13 / -14	FLAT	8:05 /mi	8:05	1:35:32
13	12.0–13.0 mi	1.0	−0.0%	+6 / -7	FLAT	8:06 /mi	8:06	1:43:38
14	13.0–14.0 mi	1.0	−0.3%	+2 / -8	FLAT	7:58 /mi	7:58	1:51:36
15	14.0–15.0 mi	1.0	+0.4%	+7 / -1	FLAT	8:17 /mi	8:17	1:59:53
16	15.0–16.0 mi	1.0	−0.3%	+3 / -8	FLAT	7:58 /mi	7:58	2:07:51
17	16.0–17.0 mi	1.0	−0.7%	+0 / -11	FLAT	7:50 /mi	7:50	2:15:41
18	17.0–18.0 mi	1.0	−0.1%	+5 / -7	FLAT	8:04 /mi	8:04	2:23:45
19	18.0–19.0 mi	1.0	−0.2%	+2 / -6	FLAT	8:00 /mi	8:00	2:31:45
20	19.0–20.0 mi	1.0	−0.3%	+1 / -5	FLAT	8:00 /mi	8:00	2:39:45
21	20.0–21.0 mi	1.0	−0.1%	+1 / -3	FLAT	8:04 /mi	8:04	2:47:49
22	21.0–22.0 mi	1.0	−0.0%	+2 / -3	FLAT	8:06 /mi	8:06	2:55:55
23	22.0–23.0 mi	1.0	−0.1%	+1 / -2	FLAT	8:05 /mi	8:05	3:04:00
24	23.0–24.0 mi	1.0	−0.2%	+1 / -4	FLAT	8:02 /mi	8:02	3:12:02
25	24.0–25.0 mi	1.0	−0.1%	+0 / -2	FLAT	8:04 /mi	8:04	3:20:06
26	25.0–26.0 mi	1.0	0.0%	+0 / -0	FLAT	8:07 /mi	8:07	3:28:14
27	26.0–26.2 mi	0.2	−0.0%	+0 / -0	FLAT	8:06 /mirate	1:46	3:30:00
	27 segments · grade-adjusted	26.2	net −102 m	▲113 ▼216	Avg	8:01 /mi	Total	3:30:00

010.0–1.0 miDESCENT

Gradient−1.1%

Target pace /mi7:39

Split7:39

021.0–2.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.0%

Target pace /mi8:06

Split8:06

032.0–3.0 miDESCENT

Gradient−1.0%

Target pace /mi7:42

Split7:42

043.0–4.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.4%

Target pace /mi7:55

Split7:55

054.0–5.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.2%

Target pace /mi8:02

Split8:02

065.0–6.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.3%

Target pace /mi8:00

Split8:00

076.0–7.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.1%

Target pace /mi8:04

Split8:04

087.0–8.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.0%

Target pace /mi8:06

Split8:06

098.0–9.0 miFLAT

Gradient+0.6%

Target pace /mi8:23

Split8:23

109.0–10.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.7%

Target pace /mi7:49

Split7:49

1110.0–11.0 miDESCENT

Gradient−1.0%

Target pace /mi7:40

Split7:40

1211.0–12.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.1%

Target pace /mi8:05

Split8:05

1312.0–13.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.0%

Target pace /mi8:06

Split8:06

1413.0–14.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.3%

Target pace /mi7:58

Split7:58

1514.0–15.0 miFLAT

Gradient+0.4%

Target pace /mi8:17

Split8:17

1615.0–16.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.3%

Target pace /mi7:58

Split7:58

1716.0–17.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.7%

Target pace /mi7:50

Split7:50

1817.0–18.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.1%

Target pace /mi8:04

Split8:04

1918.0–19.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.2%

Target pace /mi8:00

Split8:00

2019.0–20.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.3%

Target pace /mi8:00

Split8:00

2120.0–21.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.1%

Target pace /mi8:04

Split8:04

2221.0–22.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.0%

Target pace /mi8:06

Split8:06

2322.0–23.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.1%

Target pace /mi8:05

Split8:05

2423.0–24.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.2%

Target pace /mi8:02

Split8:02

2524.0–25.0 miFLAT

Gradient−0.1%

Target pace /mi8:04

Split8:04

2625.0–26.0 miFLAT

Gradient0.0%

Target pace /mi8:07

Split8:07

2726.0–26.2 miFLAT

Gradient−0.0%

Pace /mi (rate)8:06

Split1:46

Total, 27 segmentsavg 8:01/mi · ▲113 ▼216

Finish3:30:00

Target pace is a rate per mi; split is the time for that segment. Add up the splits (not the paces) to reach your goal of 3:30:00. Segment 27 is only 0.22 mi long, so it holds 8:06 /mi for 1:46 rather than a full mi.

Create free account to print your band How the paces are calculated

Data sources

Course: Official course map, Sacramento Running Association (California International Marathon) (Official download). Measured 42.28 km along the file, scaled to the official 42.195 km.
Elevation: USGS 3DEP 1/3 arc-second elevation (Public domain), smoothed to remove bridge decks and underpasses.
Routes can change between editions. Check the organiser’s course map for your year.

Other race courses

Pacing guidance only, not medical advice. Adjust for heat, wind and how you feel on the day.