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California > Napa-to-Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon
& 12K
Napa, CA
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Date
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Event
Details
Selected by Runner's World magazine in 2007 as the
half marathon with the "best finish," due in no small part to the Wine
& Music Festival that awaits runners at the finish line in
Sonoma Plaza, the Napa-to-Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon &
12K races offer some of the country's most beautiful and dramatic
scenery for a road race, both at the finish line and all the way along
the course. Runners at this race get the chance to run through Napa and
Sonoma County's beautiful rolling farmlands, vineyards and wineries,
often through early morning fog that adds a unique touch of local
California character as it gives way to sunny skies as the race
progresses.
The race begins near the city of Napa at the Cuvaison Carneros Estate
on Duhig Road, just off California Highway 121. From there, the course
follows a winding path southward along Duhig to Ramal Road, taking
runners up the affectionaly named "Butt Burner Hill" and then downhill
into the Carneros wine country area, where runners get to take in the
beautiful vistas of the Napa-Sonoma
Marshes Wildlife Area, the San Pablo Bay and the hills of Marin County.
After the first hill along Duhig Road, the course evens out and runners
experience only gently rolling hills throughout the rest of the course,
with the highest points the rest of the way coming between mile markers
5 and 6 and then again between miles 8 and 10. In addition to the
beautiful landscapes, runners will also encounter a number of working
farms and ranches along the course, complete with animals ranging from
horses, cows and pigs to sheep, goats and llamas. The last few miles of
the race feature plenty of shade, thanks to the tree-lined country
roads that make up the last part of the 13.1-mile half marathon course.
As noted by the editors at Runner's World, the
finish line is the true reward for runners in this race. The home
stretch of the final mile takes the field on a straightway along
Broadway in Sonoma to City Hall, where the festival will be in full
swing by the time runners are finishing the race, with plenty of
massage tents and refreshments along with wine tasting booths, food and
live music. More than 1,500 runners come out to run the half-marathon
alone in the race each year, and the starting time for the race begins
at 7:00 AM.
Race
Weather & Climate
Nestled in the heart of Northern California's historic Napa Valley wine
growing region, about an hour's drive north from San Francisco, the
city of Napa typically experiences warm, dry summers and cool, wet
winters. In July, average local monthly temperatures range
between 83°F and 55°F, while rainfall is rare,
averaging about 0.05 inches for the month.
Fees
N/A
Registration
To reserve your spot in the summer 2009 running of the Napa to Sonoma
Wine Country Half Marathon, register online at Active.com
or print out and mail in this downloadable entry form.
Websites
www.runcarneros.com
NapaValley.com
Course Map
Share
Your Race Story
Ever run in the Napa Valley area's annual Napa to Sonoma Wine Country
Half Marathon?
Share
your impressions and read fellow runners' stories
and tips for the event.
Discuss it in the HalfMarathons.Net
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