Race: Napa Valley Marathon
Runner: Bryan Gray
Race Date: 03/06/2022
Location: Napa County, California
Results: https://www.athlinks.com/event/3232/results/Event/625104/Course/959391/Results
3 Bests – What aspects of the race did you like the most?
- The expo and pre race events were great
- The course was beautiful, fast, and fun
- The organization and racer support was great
Not so much – Aspects of the race that didn’t do it for you
There was no water at the start line so if you weren’t properly hydrated, you had 2 miles to go before getting water.
Highlights of your race – What did you do well and enjoy about your race in particular?
I got cramps in my calves for the first time during a race and was still able to run my desired time. I credit the overall downhill nature of the course and the support of the spectators towards the end with giving me the motivation to push hard at the end.
Lessons for others – Share your pro-tips on the race to help the next runner
The last uphill is around the 18 mile mark and is not a steep climb but goes on for about a mile. This was also where the headwind became noticeable.
Lessons you learned that will help you next time around
Even though the first half of the course has most of the uphill, the end of the race has more wind. Don’t think it will be easy once you get to the flat ground.
Most important course specific knowledge to know about the race
There are a lot of gentle turns early in the race. If you take these turns on the outside, you’re in for a long race. I clocked 26.4 on my watch and the pacers and other runners around me had very similar distances.
Aesthetics – Is it a pretty course?
It was beautiful. Green hills and grape vines (the vines are dormant still, but they were still beautiful).
Difficulty – Is it a tough course?
This wasn’t a tough course overall, but did have some uphill to take note of.
Organized and well run – Did it feel like a well-oiled machine or were they flying by the seat of their pants?
This marathon has been run for over 40 years and it’s clear they know what they’re doing. The expo was a lot of fun, there was great support along the course, and they had great support post race.
Competition – Is there a strong field?
There was extremely tough competition. The winner ran the marathon under 2:18. I was in the 180s out of about 1700.
Logistics – Does it require a special handshake, registration a year in advance, hotels all booked? Give us the low down on the nuts and bolts of making the race happen.
Hotels are very pricey in Napa, and this weekend is no exception. The marathon did sell out but it was still open about a month and a half before.
Aid Stations – Standard fare or anything special to know about the aid stations in terms of what’s available or when?
Every station has nuun and water. Towards the end some had gu, bananas and orange slices.
Weather and typical race conditions
The weather is random in March. My coworker ran this marathon 3 times and has had rain and hail or sunshine. My race was 35 and sunny at the start line and 55 and sunny at the finish line.
Gear – Did you need anything special or is there anything you’d recommend for the next runner?
I wore shorts and a thin long sleeve shirt and gloves. I took the gloves off 2 miles in and may have been better off with a short sleeve shirt.
Spectators – Is this a friendly course for your friends?
There is limited spectator parking throughout the course but I did see some of the same people throughout the race (I recognized a guy’s voice and a woman’s sign at multiple places), and there were a lot of spectators at the finish. They let my wife have some of the food and beverages at the finish line even though she didn’t run.
How’s the Swag?
The gear bag handed out at the expo is great quality. The long sleeve t shirt will be great for my morning runs and the medal was great.
The Overall Score – How many stars do you give this race and do you recommend that others run it?
I give this race 5 of 5 stars. It’s not a major, but everything was fun and ran smooth.
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