FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Top Entrants Anticipate Napa Valley Marathon
36th Annual Race Celebrates Rich History of Northern California Marathons
NAPA, Calif. - February 20, 2014 - Two former champions are hoping to
overcome recent challenges and, perhaps, repeat history at the 36th Annual
Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon on Sunday, March 2, 2014 the
venerable race announced today as it unveiled this year's elite fields. A
solid contingent of invited runners heads the sold-out crowd of 2,700
marathon participants who will descend upon the scenic Napa Valley wine
country and navigate the marathon's renowned point-to-point 26.2-mile
course. The male and female winners will earn coveted first place prizes:
their weight in fine Napa Valley wine.
Top entrants Chris Mocko (San Francisco, Calif.) and Devon Yanko (San
Anselmo, Calif.) have each ascended the winner's podium two times at the
Napa Valley Marathon (NVM). The NVM all-time winner's list contains an
array of outstanding distance runners. The superb NVM men's course record
of 2 hours, 16 minutes and 20 seconds was set in 1987 by (U.S.) National
Distance Running Hall of Fame member Dick Beardsley. Yanko (nee'
Crosby-Helms) set the fast women's course standard of 2:39:37 in 2012 and
also won in 2007. The record for the most wins at NVM is held by Mary
Coordt (Elk Grove, Calif.). Coordt captured the women's crown in 1997,
2005, 2009, and 2010.
NVM's gently-rolling-but-fast course has stayed the same for the entire
35-year history of the event. The course is certified (for accurate
distance) by USA Track & Field (the U.S. governing body for the sports of
distance running, track and field, and race walking).
Mocko, age 27, who won the men's race in 2011 and 2012, is hopeful for a
strong comeback after finishing tenth at last year's NVM, on an "off day"
for him. Following an injury-plagued 2013, the former Stanford University
distance runner says he is back to training 100 to 110 miles a week
including a hard weekly training session on the track. The recent
consistent training has paid off for Mocko. At this year's Kaiser
Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon on February 2nd, he was rewarded
with a two-minute personal best, finishing second in 1:06:35.
"My ultimate goal for the Spring season is a 26.2 mile tour of (April's)
Boston Marathon, but Napa will be a leading indicator of my fitness over
the longer distances," Mocko said. "It will help determine whether pursuing
the 2016 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifying standard of 2:18:00 is in
the cards for me. If I can keep myself in contention at Napa over the first
15 miles and finish strong, I'm confident of a personal best and a
low-2:20s clocking."
Mocko's current marathon personal best is 2:23:40 which he recorded in
2011.
Yanko, 31, is not quite as confident in her race-day prospects going into
this year's NVM as she gains back her strength after recently being
diagnosed with, and receiving treatment for, severe iron deficiency anemia.
"We're working on getting my iron levels up, and they're improving, but I'm
not sure how they will be by race day," said Yanko, an accomplished
marathoner and ultramarathoner (distances beyond 26.2 miles) who has
represented the U.S. on international ultra distance teams. "I really do
hope that I can be there since I'd love to go after the (2016) U.S. Olympic
Marathon Trials qualifying time. The decision to run will have to be pretty
last minute."
Yanko has run more than 15 marathons and 30 ultramarathons since 2006. Her
personal record for the marathon is 2:38:55 which she recorded at the 2012
U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials race in Houston, Tex.
Additional top contenders in the invited fields include:
MEN
- Matt Flaherty (28, Bloomington, Ill.) returns after placing fourth at
last year's NVM. He is currently focusing on ultramarathon distances and
won the 2013 USA 50 Mile Road Championships (Boalsburg, PA) in 5:28:11, for
which he was named USA Track & Field's Athlete of the Week. His 2:22:53
personal best marathon was recorded at Grandma's Marathon (Minn.) in 2011.
He is a licensed attorney who has put his legal career on hold to pursue
his running career and serve as a running coach.
"I'm excited to be returning to Napa and I'm hoping to improve both my
place and time at this year's edition," Flaherty said. "I had a healthy and
successful 2013 season, so I should be coming into this year's race much
stronger than last year. I'm still hoping to better my marathon personal
best. The Napa course is gorgeous and perfect for running fast, and,
hopefully, we'll have great conditions and competition like last year."
- Ryan Donovan (31, Fort Collins, Colo.) will compete in his first NVM
with a goal of improving his current marathon personal best of 2:25.51 that
he set at last year's Columbus Marathon. Donovan has a special personal
motivation that he carries with him on his runs: In 2009, Donovan's wife,
Rachel, gave birth to the couple's first son, Kale Pierce Donovan. Their
child was born with a very rare genetic disorder, Zellweger Syndrome, and
he passed away peacefully in his sleep after 26 days of life.
"Today, I know that my son is looking down on me, and I always want him to
know that I worked as hard as possible and did my best," Donovan said.
"Each and every marathon I race I dedicate each mile-all 26 of them-to a
day of his life."
Since then, the Donovan's have since been blessed with a beautiful
daughter, Clover, who is now three years old. Donovan's wife and daughter
will accompany him to NVM and cheer him on.
- Mason Myers (44, Carmichael, Calif.) is making his debut at the
marathon distance at NVM after running competitively in high school and
college and then taking an 18-year break from the sport. In high school, he
earned third place in the 3,200 meter race at the 1987 California State
High School Track and Field Championships in 9:05. In 1989, he won the
California state junior college title in the 3,000 meter steeplechase. At
age 38, he rediscovered his attraction for road racing and cross country.
Since then, as a Masters (age 40 and over) athlete, Myers has recorded
excellent marks at distances from 1 mile (4:45) to half marathon (1:15:24).
He is a strong contender to win the men's Masters title at NVM.
WOMEN
- Kimberly O'Donnell (24, Walnut Creek, Calif.) owns a marathon personal
best of 2:47:13, set at the 2013 Orange County Marathon in Newport Beach,
Calif., a race that she won. She has excelled at race distances up to 50K.
In 2013, she set new women's course records at the Marin Ultra Challenge
50K trail race (Sausalito, Calif.), and at the Headwaters Ultra Marathon
50K trail race (Mt. Shasta, Calif.) where she ran 4:22:10.
- Jenny Kadavy (nee' Wilson) (31, Concord, Calif.) placed fourth at the
2011 NVM in 2:52:05 but hopes to improve by 10 minutes in this year's race.
Her personal best marathon is 2:49:13 which she recorded at the 2012
California International Marathon in Sacramento, Calif.
"I think I'll be in better shape than I have been for a marathon," said
Kadavy who manages to squeeze in her training while working full time as an
English teacher at Freedom High School (Oakley, Calif.). where she also
serves as the school's cross country coach and assistant coach for track
and field.
"It would have been nice to have a couple more weeks of mileage under my
belt, but I feel more prepared for this marathon than for the other four
that I've done."
Kadavy recently won the Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Half Marathon on
February 2nd in 1:16:03 which is roughly equivalent to a 2:40 marathon.
- Allison Maxson Ritchie (27, Folsom, Calif.) is moving up to the marathon
distance after posting impressive marks in shorter events. She placed third
at the 2012 San Jose Rock ‘n' Roll Half Marathon in 1:17:37, and has a 5K
personal best of 17:17. A graduate of the University of Portland where she
competed in cross country and track, Maxson Ritchie went on to earn a
Doctorate of Physical Therapy at the University of Puget Sound. She hopes
to promote wellness through her professional career and by example as a
runner.
At the Napa Valley Marathon's annual Marathon College, held the day before
the race, Joe Henderson (running author, editor, and coach) will moderate a
unique 90-minute panel discussion, Celebrating Northern California
Marathons, that will include a half-dozen race directors and former race
directors of some of Northern California's most famous marathons. The
panelists include Gene Brtalik, event director of the Oakland Running
Festival; David Hill, co-race director of the Napa Valley Marathon; John
Mansoor, founder and former race director of the California International
Marathon; Doug Thurston, race director of the Big Sur International
Marathon; Cynthia Timek, race director of the Avenue of the Giants
Marathon, and Les Wright, race director of the Lake Tahoe Marathon.
Likely topics that will be discussed by the panelists include: (1) the
trend towards earlier entry cutoff dates as the demand for limited spots in
marathons increases; (2) the increase in runner/walkers and pure walkers
participating in marathons, and the resulting pressure to raise cutoffs for
official finish times; and (3) the effect of the tragic bombings at the
2013 Boston Marathon on security measures at marathon races.
The Marathon College is scheduled for Saturday, March 1st from 10 a.m. to
approximately 3 p.m. at the Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa. Marathon
weekend includes a Sports and Fitness Expo on Friday, February 28th, from 1
p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, March 1st from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the
Marriott. Both the Marathon College and Sports and Fitness Expo are free
for the general public.
The 2014 edition of NVM has, once again, been selected by the Road Runners
Club of America as its National Marathon Championship.
The 2014 Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon starts on Sunday, March 2nd
at 7:00 a.m. sharp in Calistoga on the Silverado Trail near the
intersection of Rosedale Road. The 26.2-mile road course runs the length of
the beautiful Silverado Trail and finishes at Vintage High School in Napa.
Entry slots are still available for the companion Kiwanis 5K Fun Run, which
starts (8 a.m.) and finishes at Vintage High School on marathon morning.
Every Napa Valley Marathon participant assists important local causes. All
proceeds from the Napa Valley Marathon (a non-profit organization) are
donated to local charities and schools in the Napa Valley region. In
addition, an independent economic impact analysis commissioned by the
marathon in 2012 estimated that the local economic impact of NVM is
approximately $3 million annually in direct spending.
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