Dr. Eshwar Kapur is a sports medicine physician and medical consultant for the Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon

The Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon is coming up on March 6th. What can we expect?

The Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon has all of the elements of a great event. The course is fast, and the locale is beautiful and scenic. Generally, the Bay Area weather is typically mild and favorable for running.

What sort of presence will Kaiser Permanente have?

Led by our race director Dr. Crystal Hnatko, Kaiser Permanente will have a medical team that includes nurses, doctors, and therapists who will be at aid stations throughout the race course and at the finish line for runners who need support.

In addition, my team of therapists and I will be at an interactive booth at the two-day expo during the weekend of the race. At our booth, runners can try gait analysis, test their core stability, speak with our sports physicians, and visit our Kinesio Taping stations.

What kinds of injuries, if any, do you expect to see?

We always hope that everyone will get through the race without any setbacks, but as you can imagine, injuries tend to come in all shapes and sizes. Common race day injuries like blisters and chafing are preventable with the proper preparation.

We try to minimize more serious problems like dehydration and salt depletion by offering a variety of food and fluids along the course. Runners should feel reassured that our medical team will be keeping a watchful eye for emergencies and severe injuries.

Any tips for runners running this marathon for the first time? How about seasoned marathon runners?

Actually, I will be giving a talk called “Last Minute Tips” during the Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon College the day before the race. Generally, first-time runners should wake up early, eat a familiar pre-run breakfast, and get into clothes and shoes they have worn before that are comfortable, broken in and reliable.

All runners should study the course, and plan their parking and exit plans ahead of time.

As for the run itself, everyone should ease into the race with a conservative pace for the first three miles or so to get warmed up for the long haul. Above all, have fun and savor the experience.

What inspired you to get involved in sports medicine?

My interest in sports medicine started when I was running varsity cross country and track and field for the University of Virginia. I have been running for the past 27 years, and I also have a passion for surfing and outdoor adventure activities.

Being an athlete has given me a unique focus towards identifying the factors that cause and prevent injury. I have a special interest in teaching people how to exercise safely to promote better health and well-being.

For more information about the Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon, visit: https://napavalleymarathon.org/
You can learn more about Dr. Kapur and Kaiser Permanente’s approach to sports medicine at: kpsports.org.

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About Kaiser Permanente

Kaiser Permanente is committed to helping shape the future of health care. We are recognized as one of America’s leading health care providers and not-for-profit health plans. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente has a mission to provide high-quality, affordable health care services and to improve the health of our members and the communities we serve. We currently serve more than 10 million members in eight states and the District of Columbia. Care for members and patients is focused on their total health and guided by their personal physicians, specialists and team of caregivers. Our expert and caring medical teams are empowered and supported by industry-leading technology advances and tools for health promotion, disease prevention, state-of-the-art care delivery and world-class chronic disease management. Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to care innovations, clinical research, health education and the support of community health. For more information, go to: kp.org/share.