FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
NAPA, Calif. — March 4, 2012 — On a calm bright morning, almost ideal for
marathon running, Chris Mocko, 25, of San Francisco, Calif., and Devon
Crosby-Helms, 29, also of San Francisco, emerged as victors at today's 34th
Annual Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon. Mocko successfully defended
his men's title from last year. Crosby-Helms scored her second win at the
Napa Valley Marathon (NVM). She also won the race in 2007. A sell-out crowd
of 2,500 marathon entrants raced through the scenic Napa Valley
wine-growing region as colorful air balloons hovered overhead and mid-day
temperature reached the middle 70s.
Mocko broke the finish line tape at Napa's Vintage High School in 2 hours,
24 minutes, and 38 seconds, an improvement of 2 minutes and 24 seconds over
his 2011 winning time. Crosby-Helms ascended the winner's podium after
recording a new women's course record of 2:39:37 just seven weeks after
competing in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in Houston where she placed
36th among women. The previous women's course record of 2:39:43 at NVM was
set by Diana Fitzpatrick in 1992.
The temperature at the 7:00 a.m. start was 39 degrees as Crosby-Helms took
an immediate lead in the women's contest and never looked back. It was a
satisfying effort for a woman who has built a running reputation on strong
ultramarathons at distances from 50 kilometers to 100 miles. Crosby-Helms
is now using marathons to set herself up for breakthrough performances at
two challenging ultras in South Africa: the Two Oceans Marathon (56
kilometers/34.8 miles) on April 7 and the Comrades Marathon (56 miles) on
June 3.
"It's pretty cool because I've never set a course record in a major
marathon before. In ultras it's less of a big deal," said Crosby-Helms who
ran the fastest 100K time by a U.S. female in 2011 (7:46:34), and the 11th
fastest ever, while recording a course record at the U.S. 100K Championship
in Wisconsin. "But the women's course record at the Napa Valley Marathon
has stood for [20 years]. I had that in mind from the start. When I was on
6-minute (per mile) pace, I felt like I had to go for it.
"I'm trying to learn how to race on the roads. Ultras are very different.
It's, like, how comfortable can you be? In marathons, however, you try to
get in that place where it hurts a little bit. So, I've been focusing on
high-quality training sessions."
Tammy Lifka (Glenn Ellyn, Ill.), age 41, finished in second place behind
Crosby-Helms in 2:56:33 and won the women's masters (age 40 and over)
title. Kristin Walstad (Alta, Calif.) was third in 2:58:14.
Among the men, Mocko and John Van Metre (San Jose, Calif.) broke away early
and proceeded together over the rolling 26.2-mile, point-to-point marathon
course that is certified (for distance) by USA Track & Field. The pair
occasionally chatted as they went through the 13.1-mile halfway point in
1:11:36.
"We were out there trying to run similar times, so it made sense for us to
run together," Mocko said. There were moments when [Van Metre] was really
pushing me. I hadn't intended to run that hard so early, but I knew I had
to stick with him because we were out there running as a team."
At 14 miles, Mocko gained a slight lead as Van Metre slowed in an
unsuccessful attempt to collect his fluid bottle at an aid station. Mocko
let Van Metre catch up and shared his water with him before surging and
pulling away for good at 14.5 miles.
"[Mocko] was a real gentleman," said Van Metre who placed second in
2:25:57. "I like running on hills, and I train on them a lot, so the
rolling hills on this course were great for me. I even had a little kick at
the end."
Robert Wiley (Gurnee, Ill.) finished third in 2:28:00, as he ran the entire
distance unaccompanied behind the two leaders.
"The leaders took it out a little stronger than I wanted to run, so I
decided to run my own race and try to pick them off," Wiley said. "But, it
warmed up out there, and I didn't want to get in over my head. But the
course is beautiful, there's great competition, and I can't complain."
Ultimately, Mocko's familiarity of the course, and his hard training on the
hills of San Francisco, gave him the edge for victory.
"I think I'm more race savvy and conditioned for the longer distances now,"
said Mocko who has five marathons under his belt. "I haven't been doing a
lot of speed work, but I've been doing a lot of 25- to 27-mile long runs,
and it certainly paid off today."
Victor Ballesteros (San Rafael, Calif.), age 41, placed fifth overall and
took home the men's masters (age 40 and over) crown in 2:37:51. Steve
Radigan (60, Fremont, Calif.) preserved his streak of 34 consecutive NVM's
by finishing in 3:59:10
The marathon race once again served as the Road Runners Club of America's
Western Regional Marathon Championship. Known as "the Biggest Little
Marathon in the West," the race rewards male and female open and masters
winners with oversized bottles of wine etched with their championship
accomplishments. The male and female winners of the race also receive their
"weight-in-wine" from the sponsoring Silverado Trail Wineries Association.
"It was a beautiful day in Napa Valley and we're very pleased to be
affiliated with Kaiser Permanente," said David Hill, who co-directs NVM
with Rich Benyo. "We couldn't ask for a better day with a record number of
starters (1,834), and finishers (1,770)."
In the accompanying Kiwanis 5K Fun Run, Dale Taylor (23, San Francisco,
Calif.) was the men's winner in 15:31 and Stephanie Pancoast (23, Stanford,
CA) was first among women in 16:41.
Full race results for the Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon are
available on the event's web site at www.napavalleymarathon.org
All proceeds from the Napa Valley Marathon (a non-profit organization) are
donated to local charities in the Napa Valley.
The Napa Valley Marathon appreciates generous sponsor support from Kaiser
Permanente/Thrive, Gatorade, ASICS, Silverado Trail Wineries Association,
Marathon & Beyond, Road Runners Club of America, USA Track & Field,
MarathonFoto, Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa, GU, CBS 5 and The CW,
Comcast, Napa Valley Register, KVYN/99.3 The Vine, KVON 1440 AM, the Napa
Running Company, KCBS 740 AM, Silverado Brewing Company, Wine Country
Inn/Napa Valley, Arrrowhead Water, Calistoga Beverage Company, DJ's Growing
Place, Wallaby Organic, Napa Valley Bike Tours, and ZICO.
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