Elite Athlete Information
USATF Marathon Championships
The 2025 California International Marathon has been selected to host the 2025 Men’s and Women’s USATF Marathon Championships
To apply for acceptance into the Championship field, please complete this application by July 1st, 2025. Applications submitted after July 1st will be accepted on a case-by-case basis as space allows.
USATF Championship Field Entry Standards
Females: 2:42:00 marathon or 1:15:30 half-marathon
Males: 2:20:30 marathon or 1:05:00 half-marathon
Entry standards should have been attained with-in the past 3 years on a USATF or World Athletics certified and sanctioned course. Additional race distances and considerations may be possible in place of the above standards.
Seeded Start Athletes
If you do not qualify for the above listed comped entry, but have run under one of the below times you can qualify for the seeded start corral and a discounted entry ($153). To be considered, please complete the same application by July 1st or as soon as possible for case-by-case consideration.
Seeded Start Field Standards:
Females: 2:49:00 marathon or 1:19:30 half marathon
Males: 2:27:00 marathon or 1:08:30 half marathon
2025 CIM/USATF Marathon Championships Prize Purse
| 1st | $20,000 |
| 2nd | $12,000 |
| 3rd | $9,000 |
| 4th | $6,000 |
| 5th | $4,000 |
| 6th | $3,000 |
| 7th | $2,000 |
| 8th | $1,000 |
| 9th | $750 |
| 10th | $500 |
Prize purse available to athletes in the USATF Championship Field only. Athletes must be eligible to represent the U.S. in international competitions on race day.
2028 U.S. Marathon Olympic Trials Qualifying Bonus
U.S. athletes who run under the OTQ standard of 2:37:00 for women/2:16:00 for men at the 2025 CIM will receive a $500 bonus*
Athletes must represent the U.S. in international competitions and be eligible to compete at the 2028 U.S. Marathon Olympic Trials on CIM race day.
* Total bonus payout capped at $30,000. If more than 60 athletes qualify, the bonus will be prorated to cover all athletes who run under the standard.
CIM Course Description
- Point-to-point course
- Net-downhill with minimal turns
- Rolling hills for first 21 miles, flat and fast last 5 miles
- USATF certified and sanctioned
- Net drop greater than 1m/km
Code of Ethics Statement:
In order to apply for elite entry and race for prize money at the CIM, athletes should have a clean drug test record. The CIM will immediately disqualify any athlete that tests positive for using performance enhancing drugs. Prize money and incentive bonuses will not be awarded to athletes that test positive for performance enhancing drugs. Athletes returning from a drug suspension will not be recruited, and they will not be offered food, lodging, or travel assistance to the California International Marathon or any other Sacramento Running Association events.