Napa Valley Marathon Returns For 42nd Year

NAPA COUNTY, CA — The 42nd annual Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon and Half Marathon is Sunday, which means road closures will be in place as the 26.2-mile race weaves its way from Calistoga to Napa. Starting at 7 a.m. March 1, at Silverado Trail and Brannan Street in Calistoga, participants will run along Silverado Trail to Oak Knoll Avenue.

From Oak Knoll, the marathon route takes Big Ranch Road and then El Centro Avenue to the finish line at Vintage High School in Napa.

From the Calistoga city limits to Yountville Crossroad, runners will be contained within the southbound lane, which will be closed; northbound traffic within this segment will remain open but vehicles will be escorted by California Highway Patrol, according to Napa County Public Works.

Silverado Trail from Yountville Crossroad to Oak Knoll Avenue, and the rest of the race course along Oak Knoll Avenue, Big Ranch Road and El Centro Avenue, will be closed to traffic between from 7:15 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Public Works said.

In addition to a reportedly record number of more than 5,000 runners this year for the 26.2-mile race, the second annual 13.1-mile Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Half Marathon will draw its own crowd of participants.

There's also a 5K, 3.1-mile fun run presented by the Kiwanis Club of Greater Napa.

All three races finish at Vintage High School in Napa.

This Race Has Roots

The Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon started in 1979, making it one of the most firmly established and popular marathons in the United States.

Every Napa Valley Marathon participant assists important local causes. All proceeds from the Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon, a nonprofit organization, are donated to local charities and schools in the Napa Valley region.

And each year, 14 scholarships of up to $1,000 are awarded.

An independent economic impact analysis commissioned by the marathon in 2012 estimated that the local economic impact of KP-NVM is approximately $3 million annually in direct spending.