Entry through the organiser
Entry details on the organiser’s site →
The organiser, a third party. We take no entries and have no part in the race.
Running Napa? Do your long runs with the gel you will race on. Get them on Amazon Amazon partner link
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Napa Valley Marathon
At a glance
- Race day
- The 2027 race
- Start
- 07:307:30 AM
- Distance
- 42.2 km26.2 mi
- Marathon · Half marathon · 5K
- Time limit
- 6 hours
The course
The marathon starts on Silverado Trail at Brannan Street in Calistoga and runs down the valley along Silverado Trail to a finish at Vintage High School in Napa.
- Calistoga to Napa along Silverado TrailPoint to point, Calistoga to Napa along Silverado Trail, USATF certified.
- A net drop of 303 feetCertified net drop of 303 feet, a Boston qualifier.
- Twelve aid stations and a bus at mile 22.712 aid stations, gels at miles 13.9 and 20.8, bus check at mile 22.7.
Course notes 3 short reads on the course
km 0 to 42.2GeometryCalistoga to Napa along Silverado TrailPoint to point, Calistoga to Napa along Silverado Trail, USATF certified.
The organiser describes the marathon as running from Calistoga to Napa along Silverado Trail, through vineyards. The half marathon starts at the halfway mark of the same road, near Conn Creek Winery at the Highway 128 intersection. All races finish at Vintage High School in Napa. The course is USATF certified (CA20002DT).
Sourced
km 0 to 42.2GradientA net drop of 303 feetCertified net drop of 303 feet, a Boston qualifier.
The organiser’s race information page gives the marathon a net elevation drop of 303 feet and calls it a Boston Qualifier. The half marathon, which starts at the midpoint, shares the second half of the road.
Sourced
km 3 to 42.2TacticsTwelve aid stations and a bus at mile 22.712 aid stations, gels at miles 13.9 and 20.8, bus check at mile 22.7.
Water and nuun Endurance Lemon Lime are on offer at every station, with portable toilets beside each one. Oranges and bananas are at miles 19 and 22.4. A runner who reaches the shuttle bus at mile 22.7 after 12:45 p.m. is loaded onto it and given a half marathon medal.
Sourced
Race weekend
Friday 5 March Expo
-
14:002:00 PM–18:006:00 PM
Race expo and packet pick-up Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa. Happy hour at the expo from 2 to 5 p.m. in the South Yard.
Saturday 6 March Expo
-
09:009:00 AM–18:006:00 PM
Race expo and packet pick-up Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa. Happy hour at the expo from 2 to 5 p.m. in the South Yard.
Side events (2)
-
08:008:00 AM
Shakeout run Veterans Park (800 Main St.). An easy 3-mile run, free and open to everyone. -
17:005:00 PM
Pre-race pasta dinner Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa. Buffet dinner with wine and beer from the race partners. Adult tickets are $45 and youth (13 and under) tickets $30.
Sunday 7 March Race day
-
07:307:30 AM
Marathon start Silverado Trail at Brannan Street, Calistoga. Buses to the start are included in the entry; there is no parking at the start line. -
Time not published
Marathon time limit A strict six-hour cutoff, 13:44 pace per mile, with no exceptions. 6:00 limit: 8:31/km for 42.195 km6:00 limit: 13:43/mi for 26.2 mi
Cut-offs and other races (2)
-
07:007:00 AM
Half marathon start Silverado Trail near the Highway 128 intersection. Start line near Conn Creek Winery, at the halfway mark of the marathon course. -
12:4512:45 PM
Shuttle bus check at mile 22.7 Marathon runners must reach the shuttle bus at mile 22.7 by 12:45 p.m. sharp; runners who do not are loaded onto the bus and given a half marathon medal.
Times as published by the organiser, in Napa time, checked . Confirm on their site before you travel.
The forecast for Sunday
Race morning, on the record
Add to calendar .ics file, times in Napa time
Entry
Race fuel
Energy gel
5 gels for Napa, plus 1 spare
Finish
One every 40 minutes, by the clock:
Under about 75 minutes most runners need no gel: water at the aid stations does it.
- km 7mile 4.4
- km 14.1mile 8.7
- km 21.1mile 13.1
- km 28.1mile 17.5
- km 35.2mile 21.8
For your long training runs:
Our pick: SiS BETA Fuel gel, box of 6, strawberry and lime. 40 g of carbohydrate a gel, about twice a usual gel, from two kinds of sugar your body takes up side by side. Enough for race day and two test long runs.
Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.
Get it on Amazon
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In Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel, 24-pack, the best seller there.
Outside the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Italy, the rest of the EU and Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Chocolate Outrage, 24-pack on Amazon.com, the best seller there.
Anti-chafe
Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml
An invisible layer before the start keeps seams, straps and shoes from rubbing skin raw.
Put it on before you leave for the start: heels and toes, inner thighs, under a bra or heart-rate strap.
Try it on a long run first, like everything you use on race day.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Number belt
Compressport Race Belt
Holds your bib without safety pins through your top, with loops for up to 8 gels.
Clip the bib on the night before, so it goes on with your shorts in the morning.
Keep the number on the front, where officials and photographers can see it.
Get it on Amazon
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Electrolytes
SiS Hydro electrolyte tablets, tube of 20
One tablet in a bottle puts back some of the salt you sweat out.
One tablet in 500 ml of water in the hour before the start.
Only if you have used them in training: nothing new on race day.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Blister plasters
Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6
One in a pocket cushions a blister if one starts.
Put it on clean, dry skin and leave it until it comes off by itself.
Give a couple to whoever comes to cheer, so they are there at the km you need them.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Questions about the Napa Valley Marathon
- When is the Napa Valley Marathon 2027?
- Sunday 7 March 2027. The start is at 7:30 AM.
- What is the time limit at the Napa Valley Marathon?
- Runners have 6 hours to finish.
- Where does the Napa Valley Marathon start?
- Start: Silverado Trail at Brannan Street, Calistoga.
Keep exploring
More races to look at after the Napa Valley Marathon.
