byLarry EderCal International has been one of those best kept secrets for years. When a runner in Northern California wanted to run fast, they went to CIM. The race, under the watchful eye of John Mansoor and his team, has grown this event into one of the most important in the country!
The press release below, from Bob Burns, one of the real sports writers in the Sacramento area, tells it all!
The truth is, our sport continues to grow, and it is because of races like the CIM!
USA Today selects CIM as one of top 10 winter marathons
Putting the Sacramento race in select company, USA Today recently selected the California International Marathon as one of “10 great places to warm up to a winter marathon.â€
Other marathons selected in the Nov. 2 article were the ING New York City Marathon, the Honolulu Marathon and P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon. Bart Yasso, a member of the Running USA Hall of Champions who has raced in more than 1,000 marathons, made the selections for the most widely circulated newspaper in the United States.
“One of the fastest courses in the country, it begins with gently rolling hills and finishes on the steps of the state Capitol,†Yasso said of the CIM. “Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger may not be there, but you should be.â€
(The story can be read at http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/10great/2007-11-01-
10great_N.htm.)
The USA Today article offered the CIM well-deserved praise, said Steve Hammond, president and CEO of the Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau.
“The CIM is a great example of how to run a successful sporting event,” Hammond said. “The national recognition is certainly warranted and adds yet another success story to Sacramento’s ever-growing resume as a host city for world-class sporting events. That market continues to grow in Sacramento because of the success of events like the CIM.”
The 25th running of the CIM will be held Sunday, Dec. 2. The race begins at 7 a.m. in Folsom and finishes at the California State Capitol in downtown Sacramento.
The CIM is held on a fast, scenic, point-to-point course with an elevation drop of 300 feet. This year’s race will feature more than 5,000 marathon runners from 15 countries and 45 states. Many of the contestants will be shooting for qualifying spots in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and the Boston Marathon.
The men’s and women’s CIM winners will receive $10,000 each from a purse of $50,000. Jonathan Ndambuki of Kenya and Camelia-Alina Gherasim of Romania return to defend their 2006 men’s and women’s title.
Ndambuki won last year’s CIM in the closest finish in event history, clocking 2 hours, 14 minutes, 58 seconds to defeat Ethiopia’s Kassahun Kabiso by one second. Kabiso is returning for the 2007 CIM. Gherasim won last year’s women’s race in 2:34:22.
Event activities kick off Friday, Nov. 30, with the CIM Sports & Fitness Expo from 3 to 7 p.m. at the Sacramento Convention Center. The Sports & Fitness Expo continues Saturday, Dec. 1, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., again at the Convention Center. This free event features exhibits for running enthusiasts and is open to the public.
Other activities on race weekend include the 19th annual Kaiser Permanente maraFUNrun and Fitness Walk. More than 2,500 children participate in the Kaiser Permanente Youth Fitness Program that concludes with the Kaiser maraFUNrun.
In addition to the CIM and the Kaiser maraFUNrun, more than 600 relay teams comprised of 2,500 runners take to the streets for the Marathon Relay Challenge. Each team consists of four runners splitting the marathon distance with legs of approximately 10,000 meters each.
Teams can enter as all male, all female and coed (two men, two women). Team categories include police/fire, corporate, military, high school, open and running club.
The California International Marathon is organized by the Sacramento Long Distance Running Association, a not-for-profit entity dedicated to providing Sacramento with world-class community events. The CIM is sanctioned by USA Track & Field.
For more information, visit www.RUNCIM.org.
