The Napa Valley Marathon and Half Marathon is dedicated to fostering and promoting quality road racing in an inspiring setting. Known as the “biggest little marathon in the West,” the Marathon has earned a reputation for outstanding runner support, attention to detail, and a beautiful point-to-point course. The Napa Valley …
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The Napa Valley Marathon and Half Marathon is dedicated to fostering and promoting quality road racing in an inspiring setting. Known as the “biggest little marathon in the West,” the Marathon has earned a reputation for outstanding runner support, attention to detail, and a beautiful point-to-point course.
The Napa Valley Marathon and Half Marathon strives to maintain our level of excellence and offer the best running experience to runners in one of the most beautiful regions in the world.
Following the famed Silverado Trail from Calistoga to Napa, our point to point marathon passes beautiful scenery, vineyards, and some of the most world-renowned wineries along the way. Run, sip, and savor with us!
Beginning from Conn Creek Winery on the Silverado Trail, our half marathon offers a fast course and a scintillating tour through wine country. Don’t miss it!
The Kiwanis Club of the Greater Napa Valley 5K is a quick out and back from the main finish line. All funds from this event go back to the Napa Valley community.
The Napa Valley Marathon is a member of the Road Runners Club of America and Running USA, the largest and most influential running-related organizations in the world. In 2013, the Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon was voted the best road race in the country by the Road Runners Club of America.
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A scenic course with some annoyances
Pros: A scenic course. Although it's a net downhill there are enough uphills along the way it's probably no faster than a flat course. Packet pickup was easy and there … MORE
Pros: A scenic course. Although it’s a net downhill there are enough uphills along the way it’s probably no faster than a flat course. Packet pickup was easy and there was a bib mailing option.
Cons: The Nuun drink at aid stations has nearly 0 calories. Long port-o-potty lines at the start, even just minutes before start time. Secret registration fee schedule: you’ll get emails about the registration fee going up next week but they won’t tell you by how much. Very unfriendly cancellation policy (a wait list would benefit all 3 parties: the race could get 150% of entry fees for a spot, the withdrawing runner could get 50% back, and someone who waited too long to register could get in.) Spectator guide said an app was required for runner tracking (ugh), but a URL became available the day before the race.
Absolutely Beautiful
There was plenty of course support. Point to point race route. You get bussed from a local high school to the start line. Buses running throughout the race from the … MORE
There was plenty of course support. Point to point race route. You get bussed from a local high school to the start line. Buses running throughout the race from the finish line back to parking. Water stops have water, electrolytes, orange slices, and bananas. The finish line had plenty of food, drinks, snacks.
The course is gorgeous. It’s all paved road (Silverado Trail) with vineyards and hills on both sides of the road. You start early enough in the morning to see the sunrise over the hillside.
Course time limit: 6 hours for the full marathon. 6.5 hours for the half marathon
First time It was better than I expected
Napa it’s the best and easy place to do the Marathon, you will enjoy this race and find your best version! Running on Napa was the best experience I’ve ever … MORE
Napa it’s the best and easy place to do the Marathon, you will enjoy this race and find your best version!
Running on Napa was the best experience I’ve ever had, enjoying the views, such a nice place to do Marathon or half, I hope many runners could enjoy to this experience!
Amazing first marathon
I chose Napa Valley marathon as my first marathon and boy am I glad I did. The weather was five stars and the net downhill course were amazing. Loved everything … MORE
I chose Napa Valley marathon as my first marathon and boy am I glad I did. The weather was five stars and the net downhill course were amazing. Loved everything about this but most especially the scenery! Would highly recommend.
The views!!!
I would honestly do this race again, the views were amazing the course was on the easier side, the organizing was great as well thankfully we got told ahead of … MORE
I would honestly do this race again, the views were amazing the course was on the easier side, the organizing was great as well thankfully we got told ahead of time of the parking situation so we had alternative plans to get to the start line. I’m looking forward to doing this again!
Great, easy race with beautiful views.
100% paved race. Rolling hills with a net downhill (easy, PR type of race). Beautiful scenery. Plenty of aid stations with water, electrolytes, and gels. Not many areas for spectators … MORE
100% paved race. Rolling hills with a net downhill (easy, PR type of race). Beautiful scenery. Plenty of aid stations with water, electrolytes, and gels.
Not many areas for spectators to view and cheer (compared to other races).
Overall, positive experience. Would run again and recommend to friends 😊
The *perfect* half marathon course
This was my first half marathon, and the Napa half could not have been a better choice! The course was easy - nearly entirely flat or downhill - and beautiful, … MORE
This was my first half marathon, and the Napa half could not have been a better choice! The course was easy – nearly entirely flat or downhill – and beautiful, surrounded by vineyards.
The energy from the other runners and spectators made the race fly by. I’m so glad I did it, and would do it again!
Beautiful, well organized race!
An incredibly scenic race composed of rolling hills throughout Napa wine country. While it is a gradual downhill race, there are some hills, with an especially mentally (and physically) challenging … MORE
An incredibly scenic race composed of rolling hills throughout Napa wine country. While it is a gradual downhill race, there are some hills, with an especially mentally (and physically) challenging one around mile 20. Very well organized and great cheer support along the course. I PR’d by 6 minutes! Would love to run this race again.
Amazing Experience
Received the bib by mail and the bib will ding your chip time accurately. You can opt to pick up the bib and swag at race expo before the day … MORE
Received the bib by mail and the bib will ding your chip time accurately. You can opt to pick up the bib and swag at race expo before the day of the race. Very well organized. Aid stations and clean bathrooms every few miles. They also offered Nuun hydrations cups and gels in some stations. There is also a truck to pick up your gear and you can then pick it up after the race.
Little chilly early in the race, gets comfortable after couple of miles.
Amazing scenery of the amazing Napa Valley (see attached picture).
Not much elevation at all and pretty easy course. (I did the Half).
Just wonderful overall vibes.
Scenic, small, mostly downhill
This was a bucket list race mostly because of The Parent Trap. I wanted to run through a vineyard! You definitely pass plenty of wineries and vineyards along the course, … MORE
This was a bucket list race mostly because of The Parent Trap. I wanted to run through a vineyard! You definitely pass plenty of wineries and vineyards along the course, and it felt mostly downhill or flat with a few tiny rollers. We had a good weather day with no rain. Not much spectator support, and aid stations every 2+ miles.
Great for First Marathon or Your 26.2 PR
Highly recommended for a fast time, as the course is point-to-point net drop in elevation. Gorgeous scenery as you run through wine country. Plus, the road that the course is … MORE
Highly recommended for a fast time, as the course is point-to-point net drop in elevation.
Gorgeous scenery as you run through wine country. Plus, the road that the course is run on is very well paved.
Room for improvement: suboptimal electrolytes provided at limited mile markers, so consider bringing your own fuel
crushing through the vineyards was magic
I chose this race as part of a journey to complete 12 marathons in 12 months and I am so happy to have run it! From the friendly volunteers and … MORE
I chose this race as part of a journey to complete 12 marathons in 12 months and I am so happy to have run it! From the friendly volunteers and staff at the expo to the great panels with suggestions to just embrace it and have fun and the ease of which we were transported to the start line. Everything was smooth and everyone was incredibly supportive. I have run so many races that are one and done and this is the first in a very long time that I am registering for again immediately and will 100% be back to run – even if I’ll only be a few months post 12 marathons in 12 months and 40 mile ultra! I will not stop raving about this race!
GORG views and a speedy course!
If you are looking for a quicker course and insane views, this is for you. I can't even tell you how pretty it was! Every turn blew me away. Super … MORE
If you are looking for a quicker course and insane views, this is for you. I can’t even tell you how pretty it was! Every turn blew me away. Super speedy too. Only 2 or 3 “hills” that were not bad at all. My training was iffy and I still got a PR!
The pacers were absolutely outstanding. Cannot rave about them enough. All the volunteers looked so happy to be there and were so supportive.
We parked at the finish and took a bus to the start. Seamless experience. Plus, we could sit on the warm bus until we wanted to get out and begin warming up, which was HUGE. They had GU, oranges, bananas, and NUUN throughout the course.
My only thing I would change would be the expo. It was small and crowded. However, the swag was great! And it still was a good experience! I recommend!
Great race
Best scenery of any race. This is my 5th time but first since 2019. Nothing like the rolling hills and vineyards. Unlike any other race. Great support throughout. Race crew … MORE
Best scenery of any race. This is my 5th time but first since 2019. Nothing like the rolling hills and vineyards. Unlike any other race. Great support throughout. Race crew top notch. Weather was great as usual.
Beautiful course, fantastic production
The course was absolutely beautiful. Sid stations were spaced well and well stocked. Everything went smoothly from the expo, getting to the starting line and beyond. Would definitely run this … MORE
The course was absolutely beautiful. Sid stations were spaced well and well stocked. Everything went smoothly from the expo, getting to the starting line and beyond. Would definitely run this again!
Napa Valley Marathon: superb race!
The Napa Valley Marathon delivered a smooth and scenic race experience. Running south on the Silverado Trail was a highlight—the road was safely blocked off on both sides, allowing for … MORE
The Napa Valley Marathon delivered a smooth and scenic race experience. Running south on the Silverado Trail was a highlight—the road was safely blocked off on both sides, allowing for easy adjustments to the camber. Every mile was clearly marked, and the aid stations, manned by upbeat volunteers, kept morale high. The start line was spacious with plenty of portable toilets nearby, and the bag drop/pickup process was seamless. With fewer than 2,000 runners, the course felt open and well-paced, supported by professional pacers. Although cheering was modest, key spots offered bursts of energy. The sunny, mild conditions meant you could run comfortably without clothing layers, and while wind gusts made brief appearances, they were never overwhelming. Scenic views of vineyards and mustard flowers, combined with a net downhill course featuring some undulating hills, made for a memorable run—plus, great swag from Kaiser Permanente was the cherry on top.
Vibrant runners, crew and SCENERY
The weather this year was perfect for running. Last year was raining - but I still enjoyed the course. The time of year allows for radiation fog on the fields … MORE
The weather this year was perfect for running. Last year was raining – but I still enjoyed the course. The time of year allows for radiation fog on the fields and vineyards which is stunning in the rising sun. Lots of energetic volunteers at the water stations break the race up well. Thank you and see you next year!
Beautiful Course & Swag
This course is so gorgeous!! And the swag was the best I have ever received! Very nice shirts, backpacks and free gloves. The course was a little hilly, but they … MORE
This course is so gorgeous!! And the swag was the best I have ever received! Very nice shirts, backpacks and free gloves. The course was a little hilly, but they were all gradual inclines, no big hills.
Perfect Day
Add this one to your list! Great race, amazing production and scenery that can’t be beat. There were so many runners but the course never felt crowded. The logistics were … MORE
Add this one to your list! Great race, amazing production and scenery that can’t be beat. There were so many runners but the course never felt crowded. The logistics were stress free. I’ll be doing this one again for sure
Beautiful views for 13.1 miles
Plan to get to the start early for parking and shuttle. Otherwise, it's a beautiful course through Napa Valley with amazing support along the way! Did I mention the swag?! MORE
Plan to get to the start early for parking and shuttle. Otherwise, it’s a beautiful course through Napa Valley with amazing support along the way! Did I mention the swag?!