Runners race through rain, sunshine in 45th annual Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon

Mist and clouds hung low early Sunday in Napa County but spirits were high as runners raced past vineyards to cross the finish line during the 45th annual Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon.

About 6,000 people from 48 states, Washington, D.C., and 10 countries participated in the 5K, half-marathon and marathon races, race Director Michelle La Sala said.

Intermittent bouts of raindrops fell as participants maneuvered through the course. Most described the rain as a welcome addition or said it didn’t significantly impact their runs.

Marathon runner Laith Abdulmajeid, 26, of Palo Alto, said the weather only added beauty to the already dreamy route, which passes multiple vineyards from Calistoga to Napa.

“You see all of the clouds rolling over the mountains and it’s misty. And the sun was coming out in between the clouds and you saw some rainbows,” said Abdulmajeid, who added that, after Sunday’s race, he has now run three marathons. “It’s definitely one of the most beautiful races I’ve done.”

Rain wasn’t the only thing that showered on first-time marathon runner and San Francisco resident Helen Morris, 24.

One of Morris’s friends, Rachael Dowd, brought a bottle of Cook’s California Sparkling Wine to celebrate after she crossed the finish line, “just so she can pop it because she deserves it,” Dowd said. After Morris crossed the finish line, her friends and the bottle were waiting for her.

“I’m operating very slowly right now,” Morris said, as she slowly peeled the foil off the top of the bottle. “Guys, I’m coming back to life.”

She then shook the bottle and popped the cork, spraying herself and some other runners with celebratory sparkling wine. She took a sip.

“I have been working really hard for this, so it feels like a really big celebration,” she said. “I feel really proud of myself.”

At the same spot where Morris met with her support group, other participants shared hugs with their family members, wrapped themselves in foil blankets to keep warm, smiled at their kids and bent down to say hi and recapped their races.

Some shared that they hit their personal record, while others reviewed how they could have pushed more to hit their goals. Still others showed off the signs of encouragement that helped them continue on such as, “Run Zac Run,” “Hurry Up Papa” and “Cheering for my wife.”

Emma Daugherty, 32, hugged her fiancé after she completed her first marathon. He told her he was proud of her, especially because she got a time that would qualify her for the elite Boston Marathon.

Half-marathon participant Kathleen Kergan, 28, celebrated that she set a new personal record that beat her previous one by 8 minutes. Soon after she found out her sister-in-law finished early, as well.

“How are you holding up?” she asked her sister in a text.

“I did it,” her sibling replied.

After going through the large crowd of finishers and supporters, the athletes made their way to tents featuring some free items, including Polar Beverages and Kombucha, and places for the top finishers to pick up their prizes.

The top three finishers in their age divisions received a bottle of wine. The winners from each of the races also received a case of Napa Valley wines, and a double-magnum bottle of wine, which is equivalent to four regular bottles. The winners in the 40+ age divisions were awarded a magnum bottle.

Two San Francisco residents took the top spots in the marathon with Michael Vernau, 24, winning the men’s division with a time of 2 hours, 33 minutes and six seconds and Stephanie Finley, 23, coming out on top in the women’s division with a finish of 2 hours, 49 minutes and 34 seconds.

For the half-marathon, Richard Skogsberg, 27, of San Francisco, took home the win, crossing the finish line at 1 hour, 7 minutes and 18 seconds. Jen Odenheimer, 31, of Portola Valley, won the women’s division with a time of 1 hour, 16 minutes and 35 seconds.

Also in the area past the finish line, there was a bell, which participants rang if their finishing times qualified them for spots in the Boston Marathon.

Nannette Samuelson, 64, got to ring the bell. Sunday’s race was her seventh marathon and third time qualifying for Boston.

Samuelson, of Granbury, Texas, said she is looking forward to relaxing after running up and down the hills on the course.

“Drink wine and relax and get in the hot tub and drink my chicken noodle soup,” she said, describing her afternoon plans.

You can reach Staff Writer Madison Smalstig at madison.smalstig@pressdemocrat.com. On X (Twitter) @madi.smals.