Summary:
A Boston Qualifier, the Napa Valley Marathon follows the Silverado Trail through world famous Wine Country. The inaugural Half Marathon followed the last 13.1 miles of the Marathon route. Peaceful, tranquil & serene - this was one of those most picturesque races I've ever run. 

Packet PickUp:
Packet PickUp was incredibly organized & held at the host hotel - Napa Valley Marriott & Spa! After getting checked in, I headed downstaris to the Hospitality Suite. I was fortunate enough to recieve VIP Access which included a special gift at Packet PickUp as well as receiving VIP Creds for Race Day Morning. In addition to a gift basked filled with goodies (Rudy Cabernet Savignon, Smash Mallows, a Nuun California Bottle & More!) there were water bottles & GU Stroopwaffles for us to load up on for race day. I grabbed a few & headed to the Expo. 

The Expo was just a few steps outside of the main lobby. First I grabbed my bib number in one room & then headed to the main room for my Runner's Bag. It was an intimate expo, offering your typical merchandise, local race discounts as well as merchandise from a local running store & winery. While it wasn't the biggest expo, they may want to consider moving it to a bigger room next year as it got very crowded very quickly. 

Once I received my Runner's Bag, I purchased a few items & headed out of the Expo. 

After the Expo & in the courtyard, there was a Beer & Wine Tasting presented by nakedwines.com. I grabbed a cup of Scott Kelly Pinot Noir & headed up to my room. By far the easiest expo experience! 

Course Route/Elevation:
The road does slope, so you will want to stay towards the middle of the road/yellow lines as much as possible. If you do that, you won't have any issues. 

Other than the above - this course is basically a straight shot. Its also, for the most part, closed. Its the worst when you are running along a race & have to dodge cars. I happily trotted down an open road with a few rolling hills at a consistent elevation decline. Whats not to love? Especially if you are trying to BQ, this course is perfect. It's not crowded, you can stretch out & focus on the task at hand. Yes, there are a bunch of turns at the end to get to you to the high school, but you also know once you enter the neighborhood that you have about a 1 mile to go. 

-- Aid Stations: Both GU & Nuun were offered on course & a few of the aid stations had orange slices & banana Halves. There was enough for everyone, it was well manned & stocked.

Swag/Extras:
--Wine: There was plenty of wine!

--Pasta Dinner: There was a Pasta Dinner held & the panel included some amazing runners! 

--Bag: Alot of people fly into Napa, so this study & durable bag was perfect! Everyone had to use their bag as a drop bag. I was able to throw in all kinds of items & still had plenty of room. It's nice & deep with plenty of pockets. This bag is now my official 'drop bag' at races. 

--Shirt: Although not a tech tee, this long sleeve is super lightweight & soft.

--VIP Start: Held at Conn Creek Winery, We were provided a light breakfast (Bananas, Yogurt, Granola Bars, etc.), Bag Drop & restrooms before the start of the race.

--After Race Fun: Showers & Locker Rooms at the High School. I didn't use the shower, but I did change out of my wet clothes in the Locker room - which on a cold & windy day was a true blessing! Hot soup was offered afterward as well along with the usual bananas, water & Nuun.

--Medal: The medal is big, beautiful & heavy - everything runner's want in a medal!

To Note: 
To say that the Napa County residents don't care is not at all a valid! This isn't meant to be an Urban Marathon with a huge amount crowds. What I will say is that I saw plenty of cars parked along the Silverado Trail with people in them & as the temps got warmer & the drizzle subsided - people were getting out of their cars. I even passed a few places where people were giving out treats. It was a cold & rainy day for Napa standards - previous years the temps have been in the 70s. 

Conclusion:
I had an amazing time in Napa & I PR'd my Half. The running community in Napa is amazing, many returning year after year to run this race. With the Half Marathon being inaugural, I absolutely plan on returning to run. #Legacy