Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon 2010 Update
WELCOME
Welcome to the 32nd running of the Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon, “the Biggest Little Marathon in the West.” We are proud to present the RRCA Western Regional Marathon Championships. Male and female open and masters winners of this race will receive oversized bottles of wine etched with their championship accomplishments. The male and female winners of the race will also receive their “weight-in-wine”, sponsored by the Silverado Trail Wineries Association, along whose venue the marathon course runs.
Whether you entered by mail or on-line, you can verify the accuracy of your registration by visiting our website: www.napavalleymarathon.org .
EXPO
The Expo is located in the main ballroom of the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel and Spa (3425 Solano Ave, 707/253-7433) in Napa. Bibs may be picked up from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Friday, March 5 and from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, March 6. There will be packet pick-up on race morning at Vintage High School. For legal requirements, you must again sign our waiver agreement and have a photo identification card to pick up your bib. The race begins Sunday morning promptly at 7:00 a.m. The race will be run rain or shine. The entry limit of 2300 runners has been reached. There is no race day registration.
UNOFFICIAL RUNNERS
Unofficial runners are not authorized or welcome to be on the course. Runners must be registered and have an official race bib to run the course. The CHP and local law enforcement assist us in this matter. Absolutely no early starts are permitted, both for scoring and for public safety. Unofficial runners and early starters will be physically removed from the course.
CHIP TIMING
The Napa Valley Marathon has acquiesced to the demands of our participants and has again decided to use a disposable chip. In order for you to be timed, the chip must be removed from your bib and attached to your shoe prior to the start of the race.
RUNNER’S SHIRTS
Due to overwhelming demand for women’s small and XXL, priority will be given to runners with the earliest entry/registration dates. Any exchanges for sizes can be made on Sunday after 11:00 a.m. Shirt sizes are not guaranteed for anyone.
RACE CONTROL BY CHP
The California Highway Patrol has organized the traffic and race control around a “rolling road closure” of the course. It is the responsibility of each participant to understand and abide by the on-course control guidelines created by the CHP. Among the highlights: runners will have the full width of the highway for the first 12.5 miles as in years past. Just before the Rutherford Cross Road (SR128) and Silverado Trail intersection, runners will be directed onto the southbound (right) lane where they are to remain for the remainder of their time on the Silverado Trail. The northbound lane is for emergency, local law-enforcement, and CHP vehicles, official race vehicles, and restricted local traffic only. No spectator cars will be allowed on the course. Spectators parking illegally on streets or blocking driveways will be cited and/or towed. Anyone failing to follow the road-use guidelines set by the CHP will be disqualified and potentially cited. If you have questions for the CHP, officers will be available at the 10:00 a.m. Marathon College panel. There will be maps available at the Expo Information Booth outlining areas where spectators can view the action on the course. Also,you may download a full-color map from our website.
PASTA DINNER(S)
Tickets for the 4:00 p.m. seating of the pasta dinner at the Marriott ($30 each), are available for purchase. The 6:30 p.m. seating is almost sold out. If you have already ordered pasta dinner tickets, you may pick them up at the Information Booth at the Marriott on Friday or Saturday. If there are any pasta dinner tickets still available for sale, they will be at the Information Booth both days. Each seating is limited to 180 guests.
All three VIP runners will be offering inspirational words to runners, their families and friends, at pasta dinners. At the 4:00 seating, author Joe Henderson, three-time Napa Valley Marathon winner, Mary Coordt, and Dick Beardsley, one of America’s best-ever marathoners and Napa course record-holder will speak. At the 6:30 p.m. seating, runners will hear unforgettable songs and remarks from senior age-group record-holder, John Keston, as well as from Roberta Gonzales, CBS channel 5 weather prognosticator, and KCBS radio weather personality, Mike Pechner. Also saying a few words are Bee McLeod, past-president of the RRCA, and George Rhemet, Coastal California RRCA state representative
Good News! There will be a pasta dinner in the City of Calistoga sponsored by a consortium of Bed and Breakfast Inns. The dinner will be held at the Calistoga Community Center on Washington Street. Runners will be inspired by our featured guest “Marathon Man”, Dean Karnazes. This effort is headed by Judy and Doug Cook at the Brannan Cottage Inn. For information please call (707) 942-4200. There are also numerous excellent restaurants available in every town in the valley.
GOODYBAGS/SWEATBAGS
For the past eight years, the Napa Valley Marathon runners’ bags have received universal praise. For this year’s race, we have further upgraded the runners’ bags. You will have a choice of a duffel bag or a backpack, (on a first come-first serve basis), containing sample products. Each bag will be fitted with a laminated baggage tag, upon which your race number will be written. Please use the duffel/backpack as your sweatbag. Take the bag with you to the start area, where the bag and its contents will be transported from the start area to the finish area at Vintage High School. Bags should be turned over to the “sweat buses” in the start area by 6:45 a.m. and will not be returned until they arrive at the finish line. Please do not pack anything of value in your sweatbag; secure your car key to your shoelace, topped by a double knot. The Napa Valley Marathon is not responsible for lost or stolen articles.
BUS SERVICE
Free bus service is provided to transport runners from the finish area at Vintage High School (1375 Trower Avenue.) to the start area in Calistoga. (See maps on the website or at the information booth at the Expo.) Buses leave Vintage High School between 5:15 and 5:45 a.m. Sunday morning. Do not drive to the start. Parking in Calistoga is extremely limited, and the Napa Valley Marathon absolutely, positively does not offer any transportation back to Calistoga after the race. Buses will wait at the start until 6:45 a.m. so that runners can stay warm. There will be a bus available for guests of the B&B’s in Calistoga and other pre-registered runners. Contact Judy Cook for a reservation and ticket.
For runners (only) staying at one of the hotels listed below, you may take a bus directly from the hotel lobby to the start line in Calistoga on race morning. You must get your bib stamped “BUS” at the Expo on Saturday in order to get on the bus at your hotel. You must show your room key in order to get your bib stamped. Runners staying at the Hilton Garden Inn should walk over to the Marriott lobby to be transported. All other runners may catch the bus to the start at Vintage High School, 1375 Trower Avenue, the finish line. Hotels and bus schedule are as follows:
- Embassy Suites - 5:15 am
- Marriott / Hilton Garden Inn - 5:15 am
- Napa River Inn - 5:15 am
- River Terrace Inn - 5:15 am
All other buses leave Vintage High School between 5:15 am and 5:30 am. There is no stamp required for this free bus ride to the start.
BYOB
Stands for "Bring Your Own Bottle" and represents an effort on the part of race organizers to reduce the usage of paper cups at aid stations. If you wish to participate, you can carry one or more bottles that can be refilled at the BYOB stations on the course.
While not mandatory for runners, BYOB is a great alternative for those out there to enjoy the beauty of the course. We strongly encourage all walkers to participate in BYOB.
GOING GREEN
Napa Valley Marathon winds down one of the most beautiful wine regions in the world. In an effort to be good stewards of this valued resource and to the local community, Napa Valley Marathon beginning this year is taking additional steps to make this weekend more environmentally sustainable and green. We will strive to reduce, re-use, recycle, compost and limit activities to keep the valley a desired destination for future marathon generations.
MEDICAL HELP
Medical personnel are stationed at each aid station from mile 9 on. Should you need medical attention proceed to the nearest aid station and look for the medical sign. There is also a medical center at the finish line.
NO ANALGESICS
The marathon does not provide analgesics along the course or at the finish area. If you use analgesics (aspirin, Tylenol, etc.) you do so at your own risk and must provide your own.
KIWANIS CLUB 5K FUN RUN
Entries for the Kiwanis Club 5K Fun Run can be downloaded from the marathon website and are included with this newsletter (either as a hard copy for mailed newsletters or as an attachment on email newsletters). The 5K begins at 8:00 a.m. and ends at the marathon finish area at Vintage High School on Sunday morning (March 7). The race is sponsored by the Greater Napa Kiwanis Club and benefits local charities, as does the Marathon. All 5K runners must be off the course by 9:15 a.m.
GU PACKETS
GU packets will be handed out at three aid stations in the second half of the marathon (at mile points 14, 18, and 24). If you carry GU packets with you, please drop off the empty packet at the next available aid station. Do not litter the surrounding vineyards.
BOSTON MARATHON QUALIFICATION
Because of the race’s close proximity to the Boston Marathon race date, the NVM is not a qualifier for the 2010 Boston Marathon. Runners can, however, qualify at Napa for the 2011 Boston Marathon.
USATF RULES / NO PACING
USATF Rules of Competition: As an event sanctioned by USA Track & Field (USATF), the marathon will be conducted according to USATF Rules of Competition. According to USATF rules, athletes are subject to disqualification for rules infractions such as pacing, other forms of prohibited assistance, intentionally "cutting" the course, interference, the use of headphones/MP3 players, and other prohibited actions. A certified USATF Official will be onsite and serve as a Referee.
No Pacing: There is no pacing allowed, whether by other runners, bicycles, or automobiles. Runners who are paced by anyone—except by official pacesetters who are specifically identified and approved by the Napa Valley Marathon for this purpose—will be subject to disqualification.
NO HEADPHONES / MP3 PLAYERS
The 2010 Napa Valley Marathon is a RRCA Western Regional Marathon Championship event and in keeping with RRCA guidelines and USATF rules of competition, headphones are prohibited on the course.
USATF Rule 144.3(b): The visible possession or use by athletes of video or audiocassette recorders or players, TV's, CD or DVD players, radio transmitters or receivers, mobile phones, computers, or any similar devices in the competition area shall not be permitted.
Athletes carrying these devices will be asked to surrender them to a race official prior to the race. Surrendered devices may be picked up at the finish line area following the race.
NO DOGS
Dogs are not allowed at the start area, in the race, or at the Vintage High School campus. It is illegal in California to bring a dog onto a school campus. Violators will be cited.
CUTOFF OF 6 HOURS
The race course is officially open from 7 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Runners on the course after the race course closes are on their own and will not be timed, scored, or listed in the official results. Runners who have not reached mile 17 by 11:00 am will be escorted off the course and transported back to the finish line. Runners on the course after 1:00 p.m. will be picked up and transported to the finish line.
BASKET DRAWINGS
On Saturday at 1:00 p.m. following the keynote presentation by Dean Karnazes at the Kaiser Permanente Marathon College, there will be a drawing for baskets filled with Napa Valley gifts. Tickets for these baskets will be available at the information booth all morning Saturday.
Additional baskets will be offered to runners at 12:30 p.m. just after the awards ceremony at the Vintage High School quad on race day. The Sunday baskets will be awarded using bib numbers of runners present.
ARTWORK DESIGN
This year’s Napa Valley Marathon and Kiwanis 5K Fun Run T-shirts and medal design was once again created by San Rafael artist and marathon runner, Tina Cash.
FINISH AREA
In order to facilitate smooth operation of the finish area, family and friends of runners must remain outside the fenced-in area. Family and friends can cheer on their runners as they approach the finish area and then meet their runners at the sweatbag pickup area in the quad area. As in past years, MarathonFoto will take photos of the finishers. The photos will be offered for sale online from MarathonFoto following race weekend. Showers and massages are available for runners in the gym. Pack your clothes, towel and soap in your Napa Valley runner’s sweatbag. The Napa Valley Marathon has contracted with Arturo Ramos, a local sports enthusiast and photographer. Arturo’s pictures of the Napa Valley will be available for purchase at the EXPO.
AWARDS
The awards that will be presented at the 12:30 p.m. awards ceremony in the quad are open male and female (etched wine bottle and STWA weight-in-wine), and first masters male and female (etched wine bottle). All other awards will be mailed subsequent to the race, so that the scoring personnel have time to make the times official. Also, by mailing the awards, it allows us to etch the runner’s name on the plaque. All wine won in the winners’ weight-in-wine promotion must be taken by the winners on Sunday. The marathon will not ship wine.
SHUTTLE TO HOTELS
Shuttle vans between the finish area and the Napa Valley Marriott, Hilton Garden Inn, Embassy Suites, River Terrace Inn, and the Napa River Inn will be run throughout race day from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The vans will be marked as to destination and will be in the front parking lot of Vintage High School on Trower Avenue.
RACE MERCHANDISE
Official Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon merchandise will be on sale at the Expo at the Marriott on Friday and Saturday, and on Sunday in the Quad area. NVM logo’d ASICS clothing for running and more casual clothing for men and women will be available.
GOOD LUCK
The Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon, local merchants, hotels and restaurants in the Napa Valley welcome you and thank you for your participation in the 2010 event. Please support the businesses you see at the Expo and on our website as we couldn’t produce this event without them. We wish you the best of luck and good health.
MARATHON & BEYOND SUBSCRIPTION SPECIAL FOR NAPA VALLEY MARATHONERS ONLY
Greetings from your friends at Marathon & Beyond magazine!
You all obviously have great taste. We know that because you signed up for the Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon! We trust that you are also equally discerning about the running magazines you read, which is why we’re excited to tell you about a subscription special from Marathon & Beyond, the bimonthly magazine for the serious long-distance runner. When you visit our Web site—www.marathonandbeyond.com—and subscribe for 1, 2, or 3-years, you will receive a very special thank you gift—one of our Marathon & Beyond microfiber jackets. In the Comments/Gift Message box at the bottom of the order form, just type “2010 Napa Marathon Jacket offer” + your size (unisex sizing), and we’ll send the jacket to you. It’s that simple. You can also receive this special offer by calling the Marathon & Beyond office at 217/359-9345 or toll-free: 877/972-4230.
