I ran the full and my husband ran the half. This was my 6th marathon. The expo was very, very small. I'm glad I made sure I had all of … MORE
I ran the full and my husband ran the half. This was my 6th marathon.
The expo was very, very small. I’m glad I made sure I had all of my nutrition before heading to Napa because there was 1 booth offering only Gu. Very few vendors/merchandise. This is probably the smallest expo I’ve ever been to. I was disappointed that the half and full marathons share the same shirt. I generally expect races of these distances would warrant their own shirts. I was happy that Kaiser was handing out free gloves because it had been cold and wet. My normal cotton running gloves were definitely a no go after the Saturday morning shake-out in the rain.
We were staying right next to the one of the shuttle stops in downtown Napa. My husband got to the stop for the half early and told me they were just standing around waiting and waiting for buses. I got to the stop when the race told us to be there for the full and ended up waiting almost 40min for a shuttle. We (3-4 school buses full of people) got to the start around 30min before the start of the race, which was barely enough time to drop my bag at gear check and wait in line for the porta potties. Race volunteers were yelling at the porta potties that the race was starting in 8 min and we should make our way to the corrals. Kind of frustrating given that the buses were so late. I didn’t get to warm up at all. Thankfully this is a pretty small race, so I was able to squeeze my way up to the front after I got through the porta potty line.
The course was beautiful. More rolling hills than I expected, but I live/train in a hilly place so it wasn’t too bad. The road banks a lot. I was surprised that people stayed glued to the right side of the road rather than running tangents, maybe not climbing as much of the hill. The road was closed to traffic, so tangents were easy. I appreciated that most people threw any trash they had at the base of the mile markers rather than all along the road. I made a game of finding wineries I knew along the way. Course never felt crowded.
Finished at the high school. I think they had high schoolers “escorting” people through the finish line. I had to ask the girl to stop pushing me forward (her hand was on my back) because I couldn’t walk that fast. My husband had gotten a marathon/half marathon finisher beanie from Kaiser when he finished the half, but they were gone and the tent was packing up when I went by. I ran a 3:51, so it wasn’t like I was one of the last ones coming in. I think they just handed out all of their swag to the half marathoners and there wasn’t anything left for the marathoners. I did feel like the finish line had more than the expo (like Athletic Brewing, sparkling water, etc). I appreciated the gear check in the gym because it was chilly and wet outside. Gave me a chance to change and stretch in a comfortable area.
Overall, I enjoyed the long weekend with my husband in Napa, but I think there are better races out there. This race would be nice if you live in or near CA and wanted a smaller race.
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Some issues getting to the start
I ran the full and my husband ran the half. This was my 6th marathon. The expo was very, very small. I'm glad I made sure I had all of … MORE
I ran the full and my husband ran the half. This was my 6th marathon.
The expo was very, very small. I’m glad I made sure I had all of my nutrition before heading to Napa because there was 1 booth offering only Gu. Very few vendors/merchandise. This is probably the smallest expo I’ve ever been to. I was disappointed that the half and full marathons share the same shirt. I generally expect races of these distances would warrant their own shirts. I was happy that Kaiser was handing out free gloves because it had been cold and wet. My normal cotton running gloves were definitely a no go after the Saturday morning shake-out in the rain.
We were staying right next to the one of the shuttle stops in downtown Napa. My husband got to the stop for the half early and told me they were just standing around waiting and waiting for buses. I got to the stop when the race told us to be there for the full and ended up waiting almost 40min for a shuttle. We (3-4 school buses full of people) got to the start around 30min before the start of the race, which was barely enough time to drop my bag at gear check and wait in line for the porta potties. Race volunteers were yelling at the porta potties that the race was starting in 8 min and we should make our way to the corrals. Kind of frustrating given that the buses were so late. I didn’t get to warm up at all. Thankfully this is a pretty small race, so I was able to squeeze my way up to the front after I got through the porta potty line.
The course was beautiful. More rolling hills than I expected, but I live/train in a hilly place so it wasn’t too bad. The road banks a lot. I was surprised that people stayed glued to the right side of the road rather than running tangents, maybe not climbing as much of the hill. The road was closed to traffic, so tangents were easy. I appreciated that most people threw any trash they had at the base of the mile markers rather than all along the road. I made a game of finding wineries I knew along the way. Course never felt crowded.
Finished at the high school. I think they had high schoolers “escorting” people through the finish line. I had to ask the girl to stop pushing me forward (her hand was on my back) because I couldn’t walk that fast. My husband had gotten a marathon/half marathon finisher beanie from Kaiser when he finished the half, but they were gone and the tent was packing up when I went by. I ran a 3:51, so it wasn’t like I was one of the last ones coming in. I think they just handed out all of their swag to the half marathoners and there wasn’t anything left for the marathoners. I did feel like the finish line had more than the expo (like Athletic Brewing, sparkling water, etc). I appreciated the gear check in the gym because it was chilly and wet outside. Gave me a chance to change and stretch in a comfortable area.
Overall, I enjoyed the long weekend with my husband in Napa, but I think there are better races out there. This race would be nice if you live in or near CA and wanted a smaller race.
Great Race!
Great event!. Course winds through wine country with views of the mountains and several vineyards. On course support was great, with great aid stations and volunteers. MORE
Great event!. Course winds through wine country with views of the mountains and several vineyards. On course support was great, with great aid stations and volunteers.
Great first marathon
Great first time marathon run, aid stations well placed with electrolytes/water/bananas/gu gels to keep us going. Bathrooms at aid stations well spread out across course to avoid waiting. Up and … MORE
Great first time marathon run, aid stations well placed with electrolytes/water/bananas/gu gels to keep us going. Bathrooms at aid stations well spread out across course to avoid waiting. Up and down small rolling hills across length of marathon to provide a challenge. Got 10 minutes of rain on raceday but did not dampen the spirits!
Great for first timers
beautiful scenery and motivating environment. It rained a bit which was a bummer but can’t help that! Loved this race and would highly recommend it for first timers given the … MORE
beautiful scenery and motivating environment. It rained a bit which was a bummer but can’t help that! Loved this race and would highly recommend it for first timers given the course difficulty and beauty
Great course, good weather, best scenery
The hills are very doable on this course and relatively easy. Good course support. Post race snacks are lacking, bring your own. The high school kid volunteers are super sweet … MORE
The hills are very doable on this course and relatively easy. Good course support. Post race snacks are lacking, bring your own. The high school kid volunteers are super sweet and do a good job of helping you every part of the way.
Enjoyable Race
Fun race. A little chilly to start, a nice, even course and picturesque vineyard views along the way. Even had a rainbow over the skyline, well done! MORE
Fun race. A little chilly to start, a nice, even course and picturesque vineyard views along the way. Even had a rainbow over the skyline, well done!
Great running experience
I would recommend this race. It had great aid stations at just the right distances with awesome people cheering you through them. The scenery was beautiful. I like the soup … MORE
I would recommend this race. It had great aid stations at just the right distances with awesome people cheering you through them. The scenery was beautiful. I like the soup at the end too. It was a great experience for me for my first out of state half marathon. I will be back Everything went so smooth
Beautiful Course with rolling hills
We loved the area that the race was in! The packet pickup and expo were great with really nice Boco Gear backpacks as part of your bag and top notch … MORE
We loved the area that the race was in! The packet pickup and expo were great with really nice Boco Gear backpacks as part of your bag and top notch gear for sale for the race. Excellent communication and buses to the start line were really nice… Plenty of parking options at the finish. All around great experience and highly reccomend this race.. Not a net downhill, rolling but fun!
Wine Country Marathon
If you’re looking for a scenic, net downhill race with typically great running weather, then add this event to your itinerary! The Napa Valley Marathon, half marathon, and 5k take … MORE
If you’re looking for a scenic, net downhill race with typically great running weather, then add this event to your itinerary! The Napa Valley Marathon, half marathon, and 5k take place in the heart of wine country in early March each year. The marathon itself draws a few thousand participants and tends to sell out well before race day. The race organizers do a phenomenal job with registration, communication, transportation, and swag! I attended the expo the day before the marathon to pick up my bib. There were several photo opps and freebies even though the expo was small. All participants received a T-shirt and heavy duty backpack which doubled as your drop off gear bag. Merchandise available for purchase was also plentiful at the expo and at the finish line. Race morning, I opted to use the transportation available from Vintage high school (finish line). There was plenty of parking, real restrooms, and no issues at all finding an available bus to hop onto. Arriving at the start line we were allowed to stay warm on the bus for as long as we wanted to. Porto-Johns had about a five minute wait. I dropped off my gear bag about 10 minutes before the start without any stress. The race began on time and was absolutely gorgeous the entire course. Professional pacing teams were on course and aid stations were plentiful and fully stocked. Photos for purchase were taken at several locations on the way back to Napa from Calistoga. The weather was mainly overcast with a few showers later in the race. Temps in the mid forties. The net downhill course made the miles fly by. (My garmin registered 577ft of gain). Crowd support was sporadic but enthusiastic! The finish line festival included photo opportunities, hot soup/roll, snacks, water, fruit, and additional food truck offerings. The finisher’s medal is heavy and beautiful, high quality as with all the other aspects of the race! 5 stars for this fast, scenic course!
Great event, production, amazing scenery
Definitely recommend it to my friends! mostly flat course, the most amazing scenery, stations with fruits, water, electrolytes so no need to carry anything on you. MORE
Definitely recommend it to my friends! mostly flat course, the most amazing scenery, stations with fruits, water, electrolytes so no need to carry anything on you.
Beautiful run in Napa Valley
This is a very well organized race. You run from Calistoga to downtown Napa on the Silverado Trail. Of course it's beautiful. The rain was lighter than expected and was … MORE
This is a very well organized race. You run from Calistoga to downtown Napa on the Silverado Trail. Of course it’s beautiful. The rain was lighter than expected and was not a factor this Sunday. Apparently rain in the forecast is an annual problem for this race.
It was smaller than I thought which could be a plus. You will have no problem getting to the front of the pack if needed. The expo, transportation, course, and finish area were easy to navigate and ran smoothly.
Although a net downhill there are some slight grades. There are only a few 90 degree turns on the entire course which means I only over ran but about 0.2 miles.
The only reason I gave it a 4 for scenery was because it is QUIET. It is a difficult race to spectate which resulted in only 3 or 4 areas where there were spectators cheering you on and it was maybe up to 50 people. Outside of those places it was dead silent. This may be a plus for you.
The water stops were placed well except for the 1st one which randomly had electrolytes on the opposite side of the street from the water on the outside of a bend in the road. Strange.
The small expo is easy to visit. From a logistical standpoint this is a great marathon.
The only negative
First NV Marathon / 60th Marathon
My first NV marathon but my 60th overall marathon. Great organization overall. Easy in and out of expo. On the small side but well run. Transportation for the race was … MORE
My first NV marathon but my 60th overall marathon. Great organization overall. Easy in and out of expo. On the small side but well run. Transportation for the race was great! Arrived on time, great driver. Good time to connect with others. Buses are convenient to the start line. Porta potties were adequate. Race course was beautiful. Great scenery. Water stations were well run and volunteers were fantastic. Course rolls with some camber on the turns. Well organized finish area and transportation. I will be back!!
Rolling hills; lackluster finish area
The expo was smallish, a few booths and a small section of apparel. Race morning logistics were horrible. I picked up the bus at the Hampton Inn. Got there at … MORE
The expo was smallish, a few booths and a small section of apparel. Race morning logistics were horrible. I picked up the bus at the Hampton Inn. Got there at 5 for a “5:40 shape” load up.
We loaded, the. Sat and waited until 6:00 am to leave for the 35 min drive to Calistoga. The driver didn’t follow the race directions and ended up at the intersection of the Silverado trail. (Which was closed for the race!) it’s now 7:05! CA Hwy Patrol Officer, was visibly irritated that this bus now has to turn around on a narrow T intersection. He said to follow the directions the Race gave you. The driver said “I just followed my GPS” what?? The half started at 7:00 so runners were already on the course.
We make a difficult turn and continue on. Finally arrive at a long line of cars dropping off runners on Lincoln. No other busses in sight. It is 7:15. Still on the bus! Finally, jump off the bus about 7:23 run to port a potty, line too long, someone says gear drop is closing. Run to drop off bag, quickly decide what to pull out to take, it’s now drizzling. Drop off bag, run over to where runners are staged, just in time to hear 10 seconds runners, 5,4,3,2 HORN!!
No time to stretch, check my laces, missed the National Anthem! It was not good! Very stressful.
The race itself has a lot of ups and downs rolling hills. While it is a net downhill, be sure to train hills a lot! The scenery is the best part, rolling hills of vinyards on both sides for 90% of the race. The road is closed so that’s good and bad. Good, no traffic and we had the entire road to spread out. Bad, not much spectator or race support. This is a peaceful race with no music and very few fans yelling along the course. Very difficult for your fam and friends to find a spot to cheer you on. The aid stations were stocked and good and at the designated intervals.
After the drizzle stopped it was cool and a bit breezy, wind in our face. Not a strong wind, just got tiring after 3-4 hours of wind in your face. It’s basically a one direction race very few turns and the wind was out of the south.
The sun came out for a short time. I was never really too cold or too hot, so overall temp was fine.
The finish area was DISAPPOINTING! I’ve been to 5K races with more booths, vendors, celebration atmosphere. This was sad. I was a little past middle of the pack 4:23, and what looked to be a band was finishing packing up. There was no other music blasting to pump you up. Just a very few scattered tents with nothing much there. I asked “Isn’t there a BQ bell?” I’m 65 (BQ age). They said “oh ya over there”. Wow! Just a small little bell with no backdrop for a good photo op. How disappointing!!
I’m glad I did the race and enjoyed the wine country and BQ’ed. But won’t be back. NVM really needs to up their game! For what this race costs, the atmosphere was not on par. Like I said, I’ve done small town 5k’s with better race support and finish area. 🥲. I had family (who don’t run) there and I was embarrassed at the minimal non-party atmosphere of the finish areas. I hope NVM improves for future runners to feel the celebration and accomplishment of finishing a marathon!
Beautiful scenery & great crowds
This is a beautiful race, really enjoyed it. Overall is a downhill course, but be aware that it is a succession on rolling hills. The event is well organized and … MORE
This is a beautiful race, really enjoyed it. Overall is a downhill course, but be aware that it is a succession on rolling hills. The event is well organized and the crowds showed up in a cold rainy morning to cheer us on. The volunteers were terrific. The variety of food at the finished line could use some improvement.
Beaut course and perf organization
Second year running this and it's highkey the best event in the Bay Area! The course is beautiful and goes through wine country - you can watch the sun rise … MORE
Second year running this and it’s highkey the best event in the Bay Area! The course is beautiful and goes through wine country – you can watch the sun rise over the vineyards and the fog settle into the valleys. It’s just so scenic and incredible.
Organization has been so smooth both years, with lots of busses shuttling people to the start and from the finish. Great swag (a nice backpack) and wine tastings at the expo. Lots of vendors at the finish line with free hot soup, cold beer, etc.
Absolute gem of an experience, and such a great race!
Great marathon for beginners!
Easy, flat/downhill course with beautiful Napa Valley scenery - highly recommend! I didn't like the fact that race transfers were not possible and pasta dinner was not worth the $$ … MORE
Easy, flat/downhill course with beautiful Napa Valley scenery – highly recommend! I didn’t like the fact that race transfers were not possible and pasta dinner was not worth the $$ (too expensive for what they offered).
Beautiful scenery and fast course
Running through the Napa Valley is beautiful - on top of that, the pacers are great and it’s a point to point race so you never run on the same … MORE
Running through the Napa Valley is beautiful – on top of that, the pacers are great and it’s a point to point race so you never run on the same road twice. Shuttles to the start are very convenient and the weather was great despite rain the rest of the weekend. Relatively flat/downhill with rolling hills and some winding turns with pretty steep camber. Would do again!
Scenic race through wine country!
Amazing staff, great communication leading up to the event! The course itself has some hills in the beginning so don’t come out sprinting, very easy to navigate and some gorgeous … MORE
Amazing staff, great communication leading up to the event!
The course itself has some hills in the beginning so don’t come out sprinting, very easy to navigate and some gorgeous views of wine country and the hillsides as you work your way to Napa.
Some great crowd support throughout the course, not just the finish line which was a plus. Would run this one again!
Amazing first marathon experience!
Had an absolute blast running this. It was my first ever marathon and race for that matter. Everything went seamless and I was very impressed with the production, volunteers and … MORE
Had an absolute blast running this. It was my first ever marathon and race for that matter. Everything went seamless and I was very impressed with the production, volunteers and overall event. My only complaint was how long the porta potty lines at the start line haha. Will be back! Thanks NVM!
Great Race!
This was a great race - views make it go fast as well as the beautiful scenery. From being from a smaller city, the information desk could’ve been better (didn’t … MORE
This was a great race – views make it go fast as well as the beautiful scenery. From being from a smaller city, the information desk could’ve been better (didn’t get great answers) and better detail about the Expo hotel (are we allowed to park there, valet only) if we don’t stay there.