Nathaniel Beach's Staging Area

The race experience was phenomenal! I signed up for the VIP experience and the VIP area/gear check was so easy to access and use. The volunteers went our of their way to make it easy to get in a warm up and not have to worry about logistics. This was true for my friends who did not purchase the VIP package too. There were plenty of clean bathrooms to use before the race and a selection of pre-race food and coffee. The courses itself was relatively flat and fast with minor uphills and downhills until there was a significant climb from 12 to 12.5 miles. It is not the fastest course in the world but one could still run a PR on a good day. I think I ran about 30-45 seconds slower than I could have on a pancake flat course given my fitness level and how I felt on race morning. There was a ton of volunteer support out on the course and the energy was really positive. Also, the weather was perfect despite it getting hot later in the day due to the early start. The post race experience was quintessential Napa Valley. There were plenty of booths where you could taste wine and there was a gourmet breakfast spread in the VIP area. The wine tasting area also featured live music. My wife was there as a spectator (I bought an extra wine glass so she could participate in the post race festivities) and she said it was the best experience she has ever had while watching one of my races. It didn’t hurt that the Silverado Resort is stunning. As a cherry on top of the whole experience I was able to finish the race in second place and instead of winning another medal that I would stick in a drawer (although the finisher medals came complete with utilitarian wine stoppers!), the prize was a specially engraved magnum bottle of pinot noir! I would recommend this race to anyone from a serious runner to a first time half-marathoner (or 3.9 miler for that matter). It is also an event that you could turn into a vacation as it provides a great reason to visit the Napa Valley and with the event on a Saturday morning you can enjoy the weekend afterward.