Napa Valley Marathon - Race Reviews

Great event! Loved how it was set up, including the starting line with a massive amount of toilets and lots of volunteers at the athlete bag check-in area. Good communication from the race prior to the event with many interesting promotions. Course was beautiful, although one issue that noone seems to talk about - the first 20 miles of the course are at a significant side incline, or camber, at least 30% of the time. This is great for cars perhaps to sped around turns but I didn't love that for trying to run fast as the stability was compromised especially due to the fairly loose fitting Nike's I was wearing. Don't wear loose shoes for this race if you are trying to BQ!

1st time for the Napa Valley marathon but 60th marathon overall. Well organized. Good pre-race info. Small but nice expo. Well organized transportation to start. Convenient start area with busses near the start and porta potties. Course rolls and turns are ' banked'. The latter is the bigger challenge. Water station and volunteers are great! Few spectators due to the course being on the Silverado Trail. Finish line well organized with easy access to transportation. Will definitely run again!

Great course, but a bit more hilly than expected, and an incredibly beautiful valley. BE WARNED - THERE ARE NO SPORTS DRINKS AT THE AID STATIONS. The race organizers are sugar haters and have banned sugar drinks. I have run 30+ marathons and have never seen so many runners bonking in the last 6 miles - go figure! Sure too much sugar is bad for couch potatoes, but its what our muscles burn. This is the only marathon I have ever thrown up during - thanks to the electrolyte drink. Great race otherwise. Hopefully the organizers will abandon their voodoo-science anti-vax, anti-sugar superstitions and think about athlete safety and performance.

I ran Napa looking for a good BQ course. I prefer a gentle roll with modest net elevation loss. This course does just that, with three rollers over the fist 6 miles (roughly 55, 60, and 90 vertical feet each, on grade that is nothing special), the next 14 miles roll downwards about 175 vertical feet, and then you get a reward of a final 75 vertical feet drop over .75 miles followed by pretty much flat to the finish. I found the elevation changes gentle enough to not tax too much, but consistent enough to keep the legs engaged and using variable muscles. Historically, the temps are wonderful, and this year was no different--race time was in the high 40s, and we finished in the mid 50s. There was an unrelenting headwind from mile 14 (when you pop out of the valley that was protecting us from the wind) until mile 22.5 when we made a right turn onto one of the finishing roads. Wind was not an issue after that. I hid from the wind on those tough 8.5 miles by tucking into a pace group, and that did the trick to save me. Nothing Napa can do about the wind, just bad luck. I still ran a BQ-4:32, so the course offered a lot nonetheless. One note. The Silverado Trial is particularly winding the first roughly 12 miles. Those curves are banked, so at least for me, my feet started to feel the angles after awhile. However, the road gets flat (though still declining in elevation) after that, and the issue disappeared for me. Just something to think about--not a reason to go elsewhere. Race management is top notch. This is my 8th marathon, so I have seen many people manage 26.2, and these folks do a top level job. Expo is small but efficient. Didn't do the pasta dinner so can't comment on that. They could use more portapotties at the start. That is outweighed in my mind by being able to stay on the buses as long as you want leading up to show time. Great bag check--super efficient. Crowds will be sparse because the road goes through some unpopulated places, but as you get to intersections, there are LOTS of cars lined up and spectators packed, so it's kind of fun to approach all the people psyched to see you come by. But if you want crowds galore, maybe something to think about. Didn't matter to me--I just wanted prime BQ territory, and Napa Valley delivered.

INTRODUCTION: I am a race-walker with a median marathon completion time of 5:16:46. The Napa Valley Marathon was my thirty-eighth 26.2-miler accomplished. COURSE: It was a great day for a marathon: weather conditions at start time were 45 degrees, 97 percent relative humidity, scattered clouds, and wind from the ENE at 3 mph. Beginning at the Solage Calistoga resort hotel, we spent the first 22.7 miles on Silverado Trail, on the eastern side of the Napa Valley, which provided spectacular views of vineyards sporadically interrupted by pine forests. (For the oenophiles: we traversed the Calistoga, Saint Helena, Rutherford, Oakville, Yountville, Stags Leap District, and Oak Knoll District American Viticultural Areaspassing by nearly 40 wineries in all.) This course was marked by rolling terrain with notable inclines, each being approximately 0.3 miles, at miles 1.4, 2.2, 5.2, and 13.2, where, upon reaching Stags Leap Wine Cellars, winner of the 1976 Judgment of Paris, at mile 20.4, it flattened out the rest of the way. We remained out in the vineyards until the last half mile, where we entered into Napas neighborhoods and finished at Vineyard High School, home of the Crushers. Weather conditions at finish time were 53 degrees, 86 percent relative humidity, and rain with wind from the WSW at 6 mph. ORGANIZATION: We put one foot in front of the other at the Bataan Memorial Death March to honor the US and Philippine soldiers who suffered under or died at the hands of the enemy in The Philippines during World War 2, and we ran the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon to remember those who tragically lost their lives at the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building bombing on 19 April 1995. When we arrived at the expo, we learned we were to run the Napa Valley Marathon in honor of journalists and historians of the marathon. The expo, held at host hotel Napa Valley Marriott, was well organized once we were able to secure a parking spot. (The inn was undergoing refurbishment and half of the parking spaces were taken up by construction equipment and materialsa complete mess for those of us who were staying there for the weekend.) In addition to the usual long sleeve tech tee, each participant received a duffel bag with the Napa Valley Marathon logo embroidered on it. The sparsely attended (less than thirty paying guests at the early session) Pasta Dinner was a sumptuous affair with an open bar featuring local wine and Napa Smith beer. No one walked away hungry or thirsty. On the day of the race, from Napa, we were transported on school busses from either Vintage High School or, for those of us who stayed there, the Napa Valley Marriott. There were supposed to be return busses from the finish line back to the host hotel, but none were to be found. Even a race official received only dead air on his walkie-talkie when he queried about the situation. Fortunately, it was only a 1.3 mile walk, and the pouring rain was a good proxy for an ice bath. SPECTATORS: Some fans showed up at arteries intersecting Silverado Trail to show their support. Otherwise, with the vast majority of runners observing the prohibition of personal music devices on the course, it was a mostly quiet affair that allowed us to take in the beauty of the valley and contemplate the heroics of marathon journalists and historians. CONCLUSION: Just about everything one could ask for in a marathon course: slight net downhill (271 feet), no significant climbs or descents, true point-to-point course, 16 miles closed to thru traffic, marathon only, and beautiful scenery.

I really enjoyed this race, despite being massively undertrained for it. The course is very peaceful, providing the opportunity to really experience the landscape of Calistoga and Napa. Others have said this, but the course IS HILLY, especially the Calistoga portion. I've run Big Sur and SF and still found this course hilly. The weather could not have been better. The organization was great in the sense that there wasn't much needed given that the race is a manageable size. There weren't a ton of instructions given in advance of the race (I'm used to NYC providing constant emails for 8 months), but it doesn't matter. You want to know how to pick up your partner's duffel bag, etc. since he couldn't make the race? Well, some nice woman will show you around individually and help with that process! And then you can go outside and sample wine! It's all uber-manageable. I will say that they needed way more portos at the start, or at least more time to use them (although, because you can throw your baggage into a school bus at the last second, it matters little, even if you don't fully get to participate in the opening meditation). All of the volunteers were nice and there's a really endearing turn out by local teenagers to volunteer. MAJOR props for the checked water system. I run carrying water and so to be able to pick up new bottles was huge, and all I had to do was mark which miles I wanted to receive my bottles and drop them in crates by the bus drop-off. Spectators are sparse given the limited road access, but those that were there were incredibly enthusiastic and encouraging. This race is pretty stripped down if you are used to Berlin, Chicago, NYC, etc.no headphones, no massive crowds, no throngs of spectators, no costumesbut that's the beauty of it.

This is a fantastic destination marathon. Plan to arrive the day before (no sooner because the food and wine opportunities will be too tempting). Be sure to give yourself a few days to see the valley and then Sonoma, Sausalito, and San Francisco. The marathon is gorgeous, but make no mistake, the entire thing is hilly. Never steep but rarely flat. Coming from flat Florida it is an issue but certainly not a deal breaker; just expect sore quads from downhills. Very well organized but it is odd that it starts in Calistoga and they don't take you back the 26 miles away. I would advise staying in delightful Calistoga, take the public bus back for a buck-fifty. Especially since the host hotel (the Marriott in Napa) looked very ordinary and only gave a decent rate for a one night stay.

This was my 25th marathon on 21 different courses. I've run many of the most highly rated races, and this ranks right near the top. Small, but high quality expo - including a wine tasting and a commemorative gear bag. Good pasta dinner with all the wine you want (I didn't want much). Bus loading was smooth, and you could stay warm on the bus until shortly before the start. The course was slightly more hilly than I expected from other comments, but I like that better than a totally flat course, so I ran a pretty good time for the shape that I'm in. Aide stations in the middle of the race could be a little closer together. Overall, I highly recommend this one!

This was my second time running NVM and this was as good as the previous, if not better. Well organized, beautiful course and great volunteer support. I'd like to see the course marshals do a better job enforcing the headphone ban. Simply put, this is the premiere race in Northern California.

It is one of the best running conditions I have experienced, including the route, the road condition, the size of the event, the aid stations, and the temperature/humidity. The event was well organized in general except some chaos at the start line. The expo was great. The event is well coordinated with local high school. Many enthusiastic high school volunteers helped in the expo, along the route, and at the finish line. The start line organization can be better. When the buses arrived the start line, it was dark; no signs, no lights, no help person around. The major problem was that thousands of well hydrated runners could not find potties after getting there; then, no one could use the potties when the runners found them, as they are tie-wrap locked. After the day light breaking up, all were getting to normal, as the guy behind the microphone provided the instructions via loud speakers. The route was along the beautiful vineyards. It was mainly down hills. However, there were many up hill sections. There were sufficient water / Gatorade stations. As you expected, there were not many spectators, except near the finish line. The event used drone to assist taking pictures and videos. It looked cool. At the end, each finisher got personal greeting from a volunteer to ensure the well being of individual runners. This is an excellent idea and heart warm arrangement.

I think the race director does his best to make this one better every year. It has everything good, weather, scenery, organization, expo, wonderful aid stations, bonus tote bag, and plenty of goodies in the goody bag and food after the race. I have run over 350 marathons, so I have seen a lot of good ones. Every marathon runner should do this one at least once!

This is a fantastic race. You actually get your hotel discount even if you DON'T stay in the sponsored hotel. The Volunteers are amazing-They had water and anything else I needed, right there to go. At SF I actually had to go to the tables and get my water. The rolling hills add variety and don't beat up on you. I did NOT train for this marathon-my longest run was one 13 miler - and I thought I was done at mile 11. But because of the beauty of the course and the volunteers, I continued and finished. You don't need the music (if only other runners would respect this and keep their conversations quieter - or treat it as a movie and keep talking to a minimum. The headphone issue I would expand to include iPhones and radios attached to belts and armbands - some people were so insistent on having their own way they played their music aloud and subjected everyone to it. THAT was awful, and inconsiderate. This is an ideal marathon in that it is 1)serious and 2) fun. Serious Fun. BTW, the headphone bad is enforced and the race officials ARE serious about it. If you really MUST HAVE your music? You are better off running another event. If the officials don't see you breaking the rules, other runners who did follow the rules WILL report you. I know I did. And will continue to do so. Highly recommend this race for runners seeking Serious Fun - a challenging, enjoyable marathon. The swag is amazing.

As others have said, you must train for hills to run this race. In particular, there is a mile-long hill at mile 20 that really hurts. The official race information is deceptive on this point. I was warned about this so I still BQ'd, which was my goal. The no-headphone policy is stupid and unnecessary, but not a deal-breaker. Overall, I enjoyed this race and would do it again. Slower next time, though, so I can really enjoy it. The organization was great - really well run.

1. Yes, the ban on headphones is stupid, but the RD made his decision in the interest of runner safety. I respect that he is just trying to keep runners safe out there and I chose to respect his decision. There were plenty of runners who chose to ignore the ban on headphones, which I found to be pretty disrespectful of the race organizers and fellow runners. You knew there was a ban on headphones when you registered; don't register if it's that much of an issue for you. That said, I found I didn't miss my music one bit and actually enjoyed running without them. I may run all marathons in the future without them. 2. The race is exceptionally well organized. The expo is small, but is exactly what you would expect for a race with 2,700 registrants. 3. The bag is fantastic but the shirt was lousy. No big deal because I don't run for the shirt. Still, a better design would be appreciated. The medal is average, at best. Again, are you running for the bling or are you running for the love of completing a marathon? 4. As noted by others, crowd support is minimal at best but that's simply due to the logistics of the course. There just aren't all that many places for spectators to gather. This is a rural marathon after all. Supporters who were out there (in the rain) were loud and enthusiastic. I don't see how you can possibly give them anything other than 5 stars. 5. I've driven on Silverado Trail dozens of times and every time it's just as spectacular as the first time. This is an incredibly scenic course. The only bummer was that it rained from mile 10-26 and you couldn't fully appreciate the beauty of the valley. Obviously this wasn't the fault of the organizers (damn you Mother Nature!!!). Make no mistake, this is a 5 star event and should be on every marathoner's bucket list. Well done NVM, I'll be back!

The marathon was extremely well run and organized. The course was beautiful and the weather perfect. The only issue I had was the ban on headphones. The marathon site claimed that any runner wearing headphones would be disqualified. I saw 50-100 runners wearing headphones, and course officials clearly saw the runners wearing headphones, yet nothing was done. The ban on headphones is stupid and if the Napa Marathon is going to continue the ban, at least enforce it. I have run over twenty marathons and I wish I would also have ignored the ban like so many of my fellow runners.

I live local to Napa and have run it before and been on the course supporting friends many times. The course is second to none for spectacular scenery, and as many have and will note is on the Silverado Trail (a road), which winds through the foothills of the Napa Valley from Calistoga to Napa. Even though it is net downhill you will have a number of rolling hills. Running tangents to keep the course to the minimum length is incredibly important if you don't want to add 10ths to the distance. Although at times this forces you to run on parts of the road that have a decent camber to it. After 20 it is downhill/flat to the finish. This race is about scenery not screaming crowds, although at every intersection with the course there are plenty of folks on the side supporting you. My favorite moment is just past the 23 mile mark when you pass a B&B and they were handing out sorbet which on this day was more than welcome as it was warm AND they had a string quartet playing - a moment of peace when you really needed it! Finisher's medal was great, post race had food, showers (cold water!), and massages at the high school. Put this one on your bucket list!

This was my 16th marathon and meant to be a PR. The course is very twisty; if you're trying to qualify for Boston and it might be down to the wire, I would recommend running a slightly faster pace throughout, because running the tangents on a course like this is almost impossible, and you will run extra distance because of that. (I use the metric system, and when I finished my Garmin said 42.45 km even though I tried very hard to run the tangents.) The course is very hilly. Not only is the elevation profile deceptive, but throughout the race expo the organizers kept saying there were 'rolling hills'. Many of the hills were rolling, but some of the hills were much too long to be 'rolling'. If you're trying for a BQ, do a lot of hill training. And then when you're done, go out and do some more hills. The course itself is second to none in terms of scenery, in fact at times during the race it didn't even look real because it was so spectacular. The organization is excellent, and I took advantage of the special water bottle option by taping my gels to my water bottles so that I wouldn't have to carry my gels during the race. This was a huge perk for me. I gave the spectators 5 stars because even though there weren't many of them, they were AMAZING. They were providing music during the race, and giving out fruit and even homemade sorbet!! I was able to BQ but not PR. In any case, this is truly a 5-star marathon, and a must do for any marathoner.

So this was my first marathon. As the other reviews have mentioned that it's a lot hillier than expected. I'd like to my total agreement with that. If planning for this marathon use any nearby hills, trust me you'll thank me later. Pros: Pasta Feed. Awesome pasta feed. Kind of set myself up with high expectations for my next marathon which kind of was of a disappointment. But theirs is totally awesome. Free stuff is given away (I got a free jacket from last year's Victoria Marathon, the lady who works for them came up afterward, gave me her card and offered to pay my fee if I were to enter). Big name speakers. And the food is great. Definably pay for it if going, won't regret it. The Free stuff in general is awesome. Between the tech shirt, the bag, and the awesome medal it's worth it for the free stuff. The best part about the bags are is they give you a tag with your bib number and you use that as your bag to check in at the start of the race. Persistent Trailing bus. No really. The guy this year kept with the back of the pack. Checked to make sure no one needed a ride, the usual, good to see though. Shuttle buses to start. If not staying in the city it starts in (which most people aren't due to the expo and host hotel being in Napa), this is really nice. You have to get up early, really early to catch them though. But you get to sit in them up until twenty minutes until the race. And you hand over a fore mentioned bag to one of the loaders who puts it in the bus. Oh and the spectators got a low rating because of the lack of them. This is a pretty rural road race so you see them pretty much at the aid stations and that's this. So you don't get much spectator support. I will give them credit they were nice and supportive, their just isn't much of them especially for slower people. While I don't like the way the course is described by it's organizers as far as elevation change (see below) I do like it overall. It's a beautiful course. And if you are a runner used to using headphones (it's banned here) you'll find yourself too distracted by the beauty to mind the lack of music going through your ears. I should know I'm one of those people who normally listens to music. The lack of it didn't bother it one bit. Due not let the no headphones rule deter you people. Cons: The race organizers tendency to play down the hills. They gave me the impression that the hill would have pretty much one major hill. This was far from the truth and more than once I thought 'If this is their definition of flat is I don't want to know what their definition of hilly is.' If I had known this at the time I probably would have picked a different marathon and done Napa in another year. This is due to the fact that I was stuck in a town outside of Fresno CA for all of my training except for a two week period. And anyone who knows Fresno or has run their marathon can tell you it's flat as a pancake. So I couldn't get the proper hill training in that I would have needed to run Napa. Lack of spectators. I give credit to the ones that were there (see above) but I wish there was more of them. Lack of refreshments the further back you are. They tend to not pack enough refreshments in the aid stations by the time I got through them most were running out or low on certain things. This is one race I recommend purchasing a runners belt for and filling it with various drinks and gels in preparation for the race. Overall it was a fairly good first marathon. I enjoyed it and only had a few complaints. I just wish the organizers were a little more accurate when describing the hilliness of the race.

The was my first attempt at Napa Marathon course. Some people complain about the uphills, but I had no trouble with them. My own concern was actually how much "downhill" there was. I actually looked forward to the occasional uphill to give my legs a break from all the downhill. The organization is top-notch, and the goodies and finisher medal were superior to many more expensive races. Despite the rain, there were good sizes of crowds at many of the intersections, although I assume that probably changed with those further back. This is a course where it definitely pays to run the tangents, especially with the banked turns. If you just ran near the middle of the road the whole way, your GPS distance would have been a lot more than 26.2 miles. One thing I was most impressed with was the individual volunteer that walked me all the way through the finish chute. I assumed it was just because there weren't many finishers around me, but I've heard from others they did this pretty much the whole time. I definitely plan on adding this race to my list for 2012.

This is a greatly organized race. The expo is not big but is run well. I stayed at the Napa Valley Marriott where the expo took place, so it was very convenient. I also ate there the night before at the pasta party dinner, which at $30 was overpriced for what you got (although there was free booze, but who wants to drink the night before a marathon?). They had buses leaving from the hotel to the start, which was also nice - no need to go to the high school. Also, since it was raining, they allowed us to stay in the buses as long as we wanted. The course had more hills and inclines than I expected. Granted, I ran a 4-minute PR and BQ'ed on that course, but I thought that the elevation profile from the website was slightly deceptive, with more rolling hills and inclines than I expected. It rained during the first half, and there was a headwind on the second half, which made the race more difficult. However, once you reach mile 20, the course is very easy - half-a-mile downhill and then pancake flat. I must say that I did not really focus on the scenery as I was focused on running my BQ time - all I saw were vineyards once in a while, but I did not take advantage of the scenic aspect of the course. One great thing about the race: you can place your own water bottles or special drinks on boxes at the start, and they will put them at the water stations. This was very convenient and allowed me to drink from my bottles with sports cap instead of the paper cups, and I did not need to walk at the stations. The finish area is good except that if you need to reunite quickly with your family, it might take a while since the finish area is fenced. Beautiful medal; long-sleeve technical shirt was OK; nice bag (I chose the backpack). A few negatives: - Not enough porta-potties at the start. I hit them at around 6:15, and by the time I got out, the lines were way longer and some people missed the start because of that. - The road is heavily banked especially in the first half of the course. This is potentially a major issue for people with hip/IT band problems. - Pasta party at the Napa Valley Marriott is overpriced. Overall, I liked that race but would prefer a flatter one for PR attempts. Also, if you need a lot of crowd support, some sections had no spectators at all.

Even though it rained on race day, this was one of my favorite marathons (my 9th overall). Beautiful course; nice rolling downhill; very well supported; nice duffel bag (which came in handy when I needed an extra bag to carry home since all the wine filled up my suitcase, haha); beautiful medal; and a PR finish! I would definitely run this one again.

Such a class act. GREAT swag, great course, nice post-race spread, and the perfect size for a marathon. The course is beautiful, though on a very slanted road, which is challenging. Everything runs smoothly. The swag is crazy (a choice of three types of gym bags?? Stuffed with products??). I've done it twice, and been impressed both times!

Even with the rain, it was fantastic! Not very many spectators, until the end, but those who were there were great. The race personnel were fantastic! At the end, there was one person who walked you from the finish line, through all of the final stations (where you got your blanket, your medal, and your picture), and he stayed with you, constantly asking if you were okay, and if you needed anything. It was great. Wonderful experience. Will do it again next year for sure.

This year's NVM had light rain for the first couple of hours. That made it a little warmer at the start than in previous years, but kept it cooler along the course. The scenery was enhanced by the fog and clouds weaving through the hills. Once again the organization was good; being walked through the finish by a volunteer was nice.

This was my first NVM today (2011). It was awesome, the rain notwithstanding. The spectators were spectacular, with stations filled with volunteers sharing oranges and bananas. The hydration stations with water and Gatorade were perfectly placed. Not a lot of music, but it's hard to beat the scenery, and the quiet of the surroundings was awesome. I was surprised by the number of rolling hills that worked out all of the different muscle groups and helped with overcoming fatigue. The organizers were good with the shuttles to the start.

One of my favorites... green rolling hills, wineries, fantastic course. Well organized. Always look forward to the swag; this year, like last, they had a gym bag. Really liked the hot soup and bread at the finish.

This was my first Napa Valley Marathon and I will absolutely be back! Breathtaking course, nice roomy roads to run on, and organized by some of the nicest people you will ever meet. The highlights for me were: (1) The expo lectures and pasta dinner the day before. Being encouraged and motivated by great runners is such a thrill! (2) Running only with other marathoners (sorry halfers, and relay teams, but running amongst other 26.2-er's brings up my game, and challenges me to be a better runner). I BQ'd on this course! (3) The bottle drop option. I was on my own for this marathon (no family to meet me on the course), and loved being able to have my drink(s) of choice at whatever mile markers I chose. (4) It was enjoyable to run in a marathon were most people weren't wearing headphones - nothing worse than wasting my energy on cheering someone on, only to find out that they can't hear me. Really, if you haven't tried running a marathon without headphones, try it - you just might surprise yourself and get more out of it. (5) The finish. They had massages, food, no lines and shuttle buses to and from, which put it over the top! (6) Sweet medal, cool backpack (or duffel bag) well fitted and beautiful shirt, extra fun freebies.... Overall, I felt VERY taken care of as a participant, leaving me with no worries so I could enjoy the day and take in the journey. Thank you, Napa Valley Marathon, for a wonderful experience!

This is the second time and second year in a row I've run the NVM. This is a runner-oriented marathon. The expo is small, but that makes it more personal. You can talk with folks at the expo for a long time without getting crowded out or waiting. They provide a genuine Asics long-sleeve technical shirt and a great choice of either a backpack or duffel race bag. The buses to the start really help and it's nice that they don't drop you off or kick you out. The fact that you can have personal water bottles at the water stops is fantastic! The course is BEAUTIFUL! The post-race soup and bread are yummy. They have free massages and physical therapists at the finish to work out the kinks, and help you stretch out tight spots or tape up injuries. All of the staff and volunteers are friendly and helpful. If you have questions or need advice, they will do whatever they can to help. Overall, it's the best in the West!

My first marathon race, and I will never forget it. Absolutely perfect!!! We started the day with perfect weather: blue sky, no wind, the sunrise... yes, the course was spectacularly beautiful. Few hills. It was a mostly flat course on a good road. Plenty of aid stations with lots of oranges, which I think it help me a lot. Lots of volunteers and friendly crowds to cheer along the turnouts. Music, drinks, of course wine.... Great gifts: beautiful tech shirt and a very usable gym bag. Mostly, the beautiful medal. Awesome artwork.... The organizer put this event very nicely. I will definitely recommend it to my friends, and, yes, I am coming back next year.

This was my first Napa Valley Marathon. I really enjoyed it and PRed as well. The good: - Great course - very scenic and fast - Great weather - Nice people all around - Small and easy to navigate - Love the sweat bag (backpack) and the functional, long-sleeve t-shirt - Nice finisher medal Areas of improvement: - Hardly any spectators. The ones that were there were great but you won't get a lot of energy back from the crowds there. - No organized way to get back from the finish line to Calistoga. I was lucky to have researched a public bus beforehand and managed to get to it in time, but nobody even knew about that bus when I asked. - Not a lot of water/beverages, especially in the second half when it got pretty warm - Why the restriction on headphone use? The course is not crowded at all, as there are not a lot of runners. Large marathons like the Nike Marathon (20,000 participants) allow headphones.

I finally got around to running my local marathon this spring. Despite the constant rain, the roads were in good shape and the organization was excellent. My only complaint is that the results were wildly inaccurate for days after the race. Ultimately they were corrected and this was a minor inconvenience, especially considering that this was the first year Napa finally used chips to record a chip time rather than gun time. Despite the relatively closed course, lots of spectators were at almost every intersection. Post-race refreshments were great, and it was especially nice to have a hot shower immediately after the slog-fest.

Gels were available at miles 14, 18, 24. What are they even thinking? They did have plenty of aid stations, but the course I would rate as average but inconvenient (because it was point to point). I won my age group and hung around for awards only to find out they were promised to ship awards to age group winners within 2 weeks. Here it is almost 2 months later and I am still waiting. I won't be back.

This was my first marathon and it was such an awesome experience. The course was truly beautiful and I praise the fans for coming out in the rain to cheer us on. An For future racers: the first half had many cambered spots. I have never had an injury before, but my IT Band was thrashed for a good month after the fact. I am not complaining by any means. This is just a little side note to warn green racers to prep for those conditions. As I obviously didn't. Thanks to all for a great race. I'll never drive the Silverado Trail again without that experience embedded in my heart and mind!

I picked Napa for my first marathon for the flat course, the destination, and the probability of good weather. Two out of three ain't bad! The course WAS lovely and flat - in Seattle, none of those "hills" even qualify as such. The mile markers were always visible, there were plenty of porta-potties along the way, and the on-course support and volunteers were great, too. I loved the bottle drop option, which I happily took advantage of. Unfortunately, somebody took my last bottle at mile 18.4 (I don't know why, because there wasn't another one like it) and I ended the race dehydrated. It totally threw me off my race plan. Not the race's fault, but I'm still cursing whoever it was! Anyway, that's a great option that surprisingly few people took advantage of. The only real complaint I have about the race is the finish line - you have this great support coming into town and during the last .2, and then you finish in a fence-lined chute with no spectator support. I love races where you can hug your loved ones immediately after crossing the finish line, but in Napa, I had to wait about 5 minutes for my husband to make his way around the back of the portables to find me. It seems like they could change that fairly easily, especially in a race this small. As for the weather, well, there's nothing to be done about that. At least it was warm, and it made the course even more beautiful and lush. And the schwag bag? Fantastic! It's my new triathlon bag. All in all, a great race.

This was my first marathon in 30 years (age 53). Despite the rain, the course was beautiful. It was fun to pass some of the wineries I've sampled. Horses nickering in their paddocks, roosters crowing, mists on the hills, mustard flowers blooming in the dormant vineyards.... Along the way, there were many *wonderful volunteers* with lots of aid stations. I love those orange slices! Chip timing was new, I hear, and good to have. Excellent care at the finish... soup, fruit, water, showers (not too hot after a 4:25 run but a quick rinse off was good) and massages. Results posted instantly. The only thing to note is that spectators can't really see you except at a couple of places on the way. It's not a problem for me, but my wife was disappointed. Even more annoying to her was the terrible spectator access to the finish. Basically you are watching/photoing through a chain link fence. However, I suspect there are logistical issues with moving the finish. Therefore, if you need lots of cheering crowds, this is not the marathon for you. Afterward, we tromped up to Bottega in Yountville for a great lunch. There's nothing like wonderful food after a long run! I will be back.

This is a wonderful marathon. The scenery on the course is gorgeous and the terrain just rolls gently, so it is perfect. And, what a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. Kudos on adding timing chips this year - an important thing for runners looking to achieve a time goal. The medal, t-shirt, and duffel bag are great. Volunteers were helpful, numerous, and I appreciated the one-on-one assistance I received. When I crossed the finish line, one volunteer matched up with me and walked me through the medal and Mylar blanket lines, and made sure I was okay. Pretty cool. If you are into spectators on your course, this one is a little tough because the course is difficult for spectators to access. But, those that came out were incredibly supportive and appreciated. Unfortunately the weather was less than cooperative this year, but that is out of anybody's control. Having the school facilities open at the finish line also provided for great accommodation. My only organizational critique is the start area. The portable toilets were placed right in the middle of the starting area, which created all kinds of confusion and jam-ups. Move these off to the side or further back next year. That's it, though. I would recommend this race in a heartbeat, and thanks to the organizers for such a fine race.

Beautiful. Light rain, no wind. Excellent water stops... well staffed and plenty of room. Quick course. I qualified for Boston by taking 11 minutes off of my last Napa. Train for hills and expect a long, flat last 5 miles. Excellent post-race support and food. Thanks for the support at mile 24 - that was just where I needed a bit of encouragement. The expo was a tad crowded and hot. Little crowd support... maybe the rain? Expect more vineyards than people along the course.