I knew we were going to have bad weather and was mentally prepared but the 2001 edition was tough. They let us stay in the buses until the last minute which kept us warm before the start which would not have been possible in a big marathon. Once underway I was not cold because the act of running a marathon keeps you warm despite the rain and temps in the low 50's. It was when the rain let up at about the 1/2 way point that we started to get hot with very strong headwinds. By 20 miles when we were going up a hill we had 40+ MPH winds which never really let up. I ran strong and finished 48th in 3:13 - it would have taken 2:57 to finish 48th last year. This is a beautiful scenic race, this year we just got horrible weather. Volunteers were exceptional given the conditions, always cheering and ready to help.

Easy to 'lose yourself' in the beautiful surroundings! Encouraging banners near the wineries were fun. Fantastic organization and support, especially at the finish. The hot soup was perfect after last year's wet weather. Loved the run and I'm coming back. The only thing I'd change? Wasn't crazy about the medal...a minor detail.

A very well-organized and uncrowded course. There was not a lot of crowd support, but the people who were there were great. The rolling hills of Napa Valley were lovely, and to top it off I ran a personal best!

This marathon is a good race to run with a partner or group. The scenery is pretty but the course is rural and spectators are only able to view the race at restricted spots. Towards the end, I was tired of the vineyards and looked forward to seeing more people and activity. The race is well organized with water stops every 2 1/2 miles. The weather in 2000 was overcast and rainy. The postrace party is very nice, and there are lots of very friendly volunteers. The hot soup was terrific! The bag pickup was efficient as was the transportation to the starting line.