Athletics: Napa Valley Marathon Runs On Sunday

NAPA, Calif. - March 2, 2004 - The Napa Valley Marathon, dubbed "the biggest little marathon in the west," takes off on Sunday, March 7 with a sold-out field of 2,200 participants. The 26th annual event, which reached its entry capacity in January, limits entries so it can provide a first-class marathon experience for all participants. This tender care has earned the Napa Valley Marathon accolades as one of the top 20 marathons in the U.S. by Runner's World Magazine.

The 26.2-mile marathon route tours the beautiful Napa Valley, one of the world's most renowned wine growing regions. The USA Track & Field certified (for distance) course runs the length of the Silverado Trail from Calistoga to Napa - a course unchanged during the 26-year history of the popular event.

The marathon starts at 7:00 a.m. sharp in Calistoga on the Silverado Trail near the intersection of Rosedale Road. The wheelchair division starts at 6:55 a.m. Runners proceed southeast on the Silverado Trail past vineyards, wineries, and mustard fields to Napa. The halfway point of the race is just past the intersection of Route 128. The race finishes at Vintage High School in Napa. Top runners are expected to reach the finish between 9:20 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. Runners will be scored, and receive official times, up until 12:30 p.m. when the course closes.

Last year, men's winner Kenny Brown of Santa Rosa covered the course in 2 hours, thirty minutes, and 12 seconds. The 2003 women's champion, Beverley Anderson-Abbs of Red Bluff, CA, recorded a winning time of 2:59:10. Brown is expected to defend his title on Sunday. The men's course record (2:16:20) was set by Dick Beardsley in 1987. The women's standard (2:39:42) was recorded by Diana Fitzpatrick in 1992.

Also entered in Sunday's race: 2002 women's overall winner Kristen Orr-Riley of Bend, OR; Steve Radigan of Fremont, CA (the only runner who has finished every Napa Valley Marathon since its inception in 1978); Helen Klein, 81, of Gold River, CA (multi age group record holder who has run over 60 marathons and 140 ultramarathons); age group standout Myra Rhodes, 71, of Sacramento; 1987 Western States 100-Miler men's champion Herb Tanzer, 52, of Colorado; and U.S. astronaut Rick Searfoss, 47, a veteran of three space shuttle flights.

The 2004 edition of the NVM has again been selected by the Road Runners Club of America as its National Marathon Championships - a designation it has received since 1998. In 1996, the race served as the RRCA Western Regional Championships.

Napa Valley Marathon weekend includes a Sports and Fitness Expo, Saturday, March 6 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa. Also on slate is Saturday's popular Marathon College, an innovative speaker/seminar program that includes a "faculty" composed of respected running authorities and celebrity runners. As an alternative to the marathon, a 5-kilometer run presented by the Kiwanis Club of Napa takes place at Vintage High School in Napa at 8:00 a.m. Entries are still open for the 5K.

More information about the Napa Valley Marathon and Kiwanis Club 5K is available online at www.napa-marathon.com, or telephone (707) 255-2609.

The Napa Valley Marathon appreciates generous sponsor support from Calistoga Mineral Water, Gatorade, ASICS America Corporation, Silverado Trail Wineries Association, Marathon & Beyond, Road Runners Club of America, USA Track & Field, Marathon Photo, Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa, St. Helena Hospital, CBS 5 and UPN Bay Area, GU, and Wines Central.