Last Saturday in October, Bothe-Napa State Park, Calistoga, CA, 9 AM start.

App and info click on Napa Wine Country above.

Julie Miller's Report on the Napa Wine Country Classic Half Marathon

Saturday, October 22, 2005. If you like trail runs, climbing hills, and wine-tasting, then, this is the race for you! The race is entirely within the Booth-Napa State Park, near Calistoga

What's to like about this race? First, its got scenery. The weather in Napa in October is crisp, the trees colorful, and you cross many babbling brooks. The race is near the town of Calistoga in an old spa resort town, where you can relax in a mud or mineral bath postrace, and then do some wine-tasting in Napa. If you are game to do the full marathon, you are likely to medal. Only about twenty runners took on the marathon and the medals go 3 deep in each age category. About a hundred did the half marathon and 10K respectively.

But don't get this race confused with the Napa Marathon in March. That marathon is 26.2 miles of pavement between Calistoga and Napa along the Silverado Trail. This one goes out fifty feet, and then goes vertical. There's 2500 feet of climbing, and the downhill is very steep. But if you eat rocks for breakfast and hills for lunch, do this race.