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Apr 28, 2024

Napa Valley Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Napa Valley Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.7

Organization 4.7

Spectators 3.9

Number of comments: 160 [displaying comments 41 to 51]

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C. T. from Half Moon Bay, California (3/2/2009) "Beautiful course; very runner-friendly" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Napa Valley Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I just ran the Napa Valley Marathon yesterday. It was might first. I didn't know what to expect, but at every turn I found that they made EVERYTHING EASY. From the first contact at the expo on Saturday, everything was focused on making things easy for the runners. There was a bus pick-up at my hotel to get to the race start. The buses stayed around to allow people to stay on them until shortly before the race start. Lots of porta-potties at the start and along the course. They give you the ability to have your own energy drinks at water stops along the course. It was great! It was raining, so I welcomed the extra time on the bus. The course is amazingly beautiful even in the rain. The vineyards, the hills and the wineries beat the concrete and glass canyons in a big city. My only suggestions for improvement would be to have the expo on Friday and Saturday instead of just Saturday and to train the water stop volunteers (mostly middle and elementary school kids) not to crowd the course.
N. G. from Oakland, CA (3/2/2009) "Outstanding marathon overall" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Napa Valley Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This was my first marathon and I loved it overall. The course was very beautiful and looked majestic partially because it was raining so much. As mentioned in previous reviews, the spectators are extremely loud and supportive, although their presence is a bit spotty until towards the very end of the race as you enter Napa. My only real complaints are quite small and were about some aspects of the organization. The start was somewhat disorganized. All of the runners crowded up to the front of the start, and there weren't any corrals or anything to keep things regulated. However, the chip timing assured that runners would get an accurate race time. Second, it was slightly annoying that at the finish the commentator neglected to call my name out as I crossed the finish line. I even stopped in front of his booth, pointed at my number and called out my name, and he just grinned and shrugged. Aside from that, the race was a pretty wonderful experience. There are few enough runners that, aside from the very beginning, I never felt crowded on the course. There were also enough runners on the course so that I never felt like I was entirely alone, either. The runners were all extremely friendly, and a couple from Chicago really helped me out when I slammed into "the wall" around mile 20 (thanks a million, Laura!). The aid stations on the second half of the course were well stocked with oranges, bananas and GU. There were plenty of volunteers both patrolling the course and at the finish to make sure all the runners were doing OK. I felt like a rock star when I finished the race - as soon as I crossed the finish line, many people congratulated me and a volunteer came up and asked me if I needed help in any way (perhaps because I looked so wobbly as I finished). A second draped a Mylar blanket around my shoulders and a third put the medal around my neck. Being able to take a hot shower and relax in the gym for a bit afterward really helped. Massages and plenty of food were available to all runners as well. It was a great experience, and I hope to run it again sometime soon!
J. D. from Elk Grove, CA (3/2/2009) "My first... and not my last" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Napa Valley Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my first and definitely not my last marathon. My brother and I ran it together. Everything was perfect from the minute we checked in at the expo, and the people were soooo supportive of us virgins. Even though it rained (or poured), I had a perma-smile the whole way. I felt incredible and probably could have run the whole thing, but my brother decided to pass a kidney stone at mile 15. The trooper stayed strong and ran/walked the rest of the way in. We finished together holding hands... and are ready for our next marathon, less the kidney stone. The spectators were sparse... but were awesome and sooo supportive when they were there. My only complaint, if I have to find one, is that they opened the roads too early for us slow folks (11:30-12:00/miles). That made us run on the shoulder and stay out of the way of speeding cars. The website said the road would be closed longer... but oh well. It was a blast. SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!!!
P. E. from SF, CA (3/2/2009) "Fast and friendly" (about: 2009) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Napa Valley Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 A lot of thoughtful details - nice swag: duffel bag that doubles as a sweat check bag, for example. Beautiful, fast course, smoothly run, and staffed with conspicuously friendly and helpful volunteers. Very high class and down to earth at the same time. Awesome. I strongly recommend this race, with one caveat: don't count on a hot shower! They have a high school gym locker room's showers available after the race, but for a slow (4:43) runner, the water was barely lukewarm, and I got badly wracked with shivers after a quick rinse (after a wet, cool race). Not their fault that the water heaters can't handle hundreds of cold, wet runners at the same time, but check the water temp before you commit. I brought a lot of unpleasantness and discomfort on myself that could've been easily avoided - it's not like a post-race shower is mandatory. Spending 5 hours slogging through the rain only to get hypothermia indoors afterward sucks. I gave four stars for spectators because there's spotty access to the course, so there often are none.
M. K. from Michigan (2/24/2009) "Best West Race" (about: 2007) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Napa Valley Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I LOVE this race! So fast, so fun, and the best part is: Headphones are banned! So, instead of passing people that won't talk to you, you can chit-chat a bit with the rest of the crowd. SO GOOD!
S. M. from Nevada (9/16/2008) "Disappointed I didn't" (about: 2006) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Napa Valley Marathon COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 3 FANS: 1 I walked/ran this marathon after training with Team In Training, and after raising nearly $3000! I did finish the course, albeit slowly. Why they couldn't just have somebody waiting at the finish line officially to let us finish, I don't know. I am extremely proud that I crossed the finish line, but very disappointed that my name will never be in any official results. The course was nice and pretty, but the road was at a slant the whole way. I just wish I would have gotten a "finisher" medal instead of a "participant" medal. I crossed that finish line.
A. D. from Los Angeles, California (8/30/2008) "One of the better sporting experiences of my life" (about: 2008) 1 previous marathon \| 1 Napa Valley Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 The marathon college was well-organized, and the speakers (including Joan Benoit Samuelson!) were interesting, encouraging, and really cool about answering questions. The course was breathtaking, and spectators were clumped in key spots to provide inspiration without detracting from the overall peaceful quality of the course. I especially appreciated that, in addition to the normal water and Gatorade, we were able to have whatever drinks we wanted at any/all of the aid stations - we simply dropped them off in marked boxes at the start of the race and the volunteers made sure to get them to the specified stations. Most races only do this for elite runners. And, of course, I can't imagine a better way to celebrate finishing a marathon than by enjoying Napa Valley wineries and cuisine.
J. S. from Boulder, Colorado (8/21/2008) "New favorite marathon!" (about: 2008) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Napa Valley Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 2 This was my 12th marathon. While the Colorado Marathon in Fort Collins is probably more scenic, this was a beautiful run. The good: - Point-to-point course. - Fast; I PR'd by more than 6 minutes. - None of the things people usually whine about. There were plenty of toilets, well-stocked aid stations, great medals and shirts, plenty of post-race amenities. I have a hard time coming up with ways to improve this race. I've run races big and small, including Boston and Chicago, and this one is probably my new favorite. Top-notch in all respects. One other thing I'll add, though, in case it's relevant for you: the race is entirely rural, so if you need cheering fans as part of your race day, you won't find them here. Just grapevines!
B. B. from Cranbury, New Jersey (7/15/2008) "Great Way to See the Valley" (about: 2008) 3 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The course was much hillier than I expected, but it was a great way to see Napa - seeing a fox run through the vineyards was particularly nice. I was quite surprised that a race this size had no timing chips. There are limited areas for fan support, but overall, the race was quite enjoyable.
E. C. from New York (4/11/2008) "Beautiful course, but a small marathon - and it sh" (about: 2008) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Napa Valley Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 I ran Napa this year, my 6th marathon. I stayed at the Marriott, the hub for the weekend, and found the hotel fine - clean, spacious, nice service, good room service, and very convenient. There are drug stores, grocery stores, etc., very close by, which is convenient for buying snacks, drinks, etc. The expo is small - in a tiny room with not much for sale, but getting in and out was easy and the volunteers there were very friendly. The pasta dinner was delicious - tons of food, and probably 5-6 types of pasta. We didn't stay for the speeches but enjoyed the food. The bus to the race start was convenient, although I recommend being first in line for it so you can begin heading to the start. When we arrived at the start, things were a bit chaotic. The "START" banner hadn't been put up and there were 4 teenage boys wrestling with it - not exactly a professional race crew! They don't use chip timing, so I started at the very front, but I sympathize with other runners who complained about losing time due to the lack of chips - there really is no reason a race of this caliber shouldn't have chip timing. I found the course hillier than expected - there are several long hills including a nasty one around mile 20/21, when you least want it! I found the road terrain to be extremely uneven - higher in the middle than on the sides, which made running on flat footing very difficult. I ended up with severe blisters, which has never happened to me before. The water stations were well-attended, fellow runners polite, and more spectators than I'd expected - a real plus. The sun is strong, so I recommend a hat and sunglasses if possible. Finally, and my largest complaint, is that although I ran a PR, I ended up passing out at the finish and being taken into a med tent. In this tent, I was "treated by volunteers who were quite unsure of what to do - no one tried to cool me down, or elevate my feet. They are not allowed to administer IV fluids, so I was then taken my ambulance to the ER. However, the race organizers hadn't factored in that the best route for an ambulance to access the med tent was blocked by construction, so this delayed the ambulance's arrival - inexcusable, in my opinion. Furthermore, when we got to the hospital, under 1 mile away, no one there knew there was a marathon going on. You would think the race organizers would alert the local hospital. So, the course is beautiful, but you can definitely tell this is a small-town race!

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