Pre-Race Logistics: As CIM is point-to-point, there are buses that shuttle you out to the start. There are multiple pick-up points around town, but all leave at 5 am. Makes for an early morning for sure! We arrived slightly before 5 and found the line was a couple blocks long. Once they started loading up though, everything moved very efficiently and before we knew it we were on our way out to Folsom. Once you arrive, all the buses stay parked at the start, so you can hang out on the bus until you are ready. Gear check was a breeze and there were more portapotties at the start line than I've ever seen. The starting gates are self-seeding and fill up quickly, so I'd recommend getting lined up a little early if you are gunning for a good spot.

Course: Although net downhill, there are plenty of rolling hills throughout that can cause problems if you don't train properly or pace yourself correctly. Be sure to include plenty of hill work in your training.
I highly recommend coming out conservatively. The first half has the bigger hills with the biggest coming around mile 11. The course is also pretty crowded for the early miles, so better to hang back rather than weave through the crowds. The back half has a couple hills that are long but less steep, but a lot of flat and downhill, especially at the end. The last 10k is flat/downhill with the exception of a slight climb over a bridge, so this gives the opportunity to make up time from the slower start. This is my first marathon to successfully negative split and it paid off with a big PR.

There was good crowd support throughout the race, especially at some of the more challenging parts of the course. The volunteers were amazing and provided great support - plenty of water/nuun stops, clif gels, etc.

Post-Race Logistics: After finishing, you are rewarded with a good selection of food and drink as well as some swag including a cool CIM water bottle. There is also a beer garden where runners get a free beer. The finish is right at the capitol which makes for some good pictures. The one major complaint was about gearcheck pickup. This was a nightmare and needs to get addressed by race management. While the volunteers were doing their best and were certainly appreciated, the pickup process was not very efficient. I waited probably 20 minutes and there were others that waited longer. Some runners waited only to be told that their gear hadn't been unloaded yet. Someone in my group wasn't able to get his gear until nearly an hour after he finished.

Overall Thoughts: CIM is a great race and I'd highly recommend it. Run smart and you can come away with a big PR.