Sacramento

Sacramento's race calendar is anchored by the California International Marathon (CIM) each December — a net-downhill, point-to-point course from Folsom into the California State Capitol that's widely considered one of the country's premier Boston-qualifying races. The rest of the year leans on the city's trail system: the American River Parkway, a roughly 32-mile paved and dirt corridor connecting downtown to Folsom Lake, backs races like the Nail the Rail Half Marathon, while the Chanoko Trail Runs push into the foothills northeast of the city. Wine-country races like the Wise Villa Wine Run add a Sierra foothills counterpart to Napa's valley-floor racing.