Thousands run their race during the 15th annual Santa Rosa Marathon

The cheers from the crowds gathered at the finish line during the 15th annual Santa Rosa Marathon Sunday grew upon hearing an announcer say the name of the first woman to finish.

Volunteers pulled a banner across the finish line and dropped it as Krista Drechsler, 33, passed through at 2:57:33.

The claps and chants continued as the announcer said Drechsler’s place of residence: “Santa Rosa!”

Drechsler was quickly greeted after her win by members of her running club, Empire Runners, who yelled “Good job, Krista!” and leaned over a bordering gate to give her quick hugs.

It wasn’t her personal record ― which she said she set about two months earlier ― but it felt good to run on a hometown course she has done two times before.

“It’s nice to see my friends cheer,” Drechsler said.

She later celebrated by chatting with friends — some of whom were among the more than 2,000 runners who also participated Sunday in some of the various races that make up the annual event — and having lunch with her parents, who drove to the city for the race.

Dreschler was one of four winners for Sunday’s two races — the half marathon and the marathon. The 5K and 10K races took place Saturday.

Jack Davidson, 25, of Denver, won the men’s division of the marathon race with a time of 2:17:53.

Davidson, who ran track and cross country for Santa Clara University, said he was able to reunite with some college friends for the Wine Country race.

Some friend groups reunite for weddings, he said, “We choose to run 26 miles and do it together.”

Tyler Sickler, 28, of Vacaville, won the men’s division of the half marathon with a time of 1:06:23.

Hannah Chau, 23, of Huntington Beach, crossed the finish line with a time of 1:17:15, winning the half marathon’s women’s division.

Chau, who attended Justin-Siena High School in Napa, said she really pushed herself for the race and it was a mental battle.

“I’m not the most thrilled with the way I raced,” she said. “I think I have a little bit more in me, but I’m just glad I stuck it out.”

The courses for both Sunday races began in downtown Santa Rosa then went along the Santa Rosa Creek Trail. The marathon trail then diverted into more vineyards as participants ran north on area roads such as Olivet Road and Oakwild Lane, east on Woolsey Road and then south down Fulton and Willowside roads back to the trail, ultimately ending back where the races began in Old Courthouse Square.

A number of racers The Press Democrat spoke with Sunday were happy with how they performed and with their finishing times.

A few, though, said they were concerned about one of the runners who collapsed along the course. They said emergency personnel appeared to be performing chest compressions on the runner before an ambulance arrived.

Asked Sunday about the runner and their condition, race officials declined to comment.

Participants in this year’s event, came from as far away as andwich, Massachusetts, Boca Raton, Florida and Guatemala City, Guatemala.

The Santa Rosa Marathon is a qualifier for the Boston Marathon, a prestigious race that accepted about 20,000 people in 2021.

After crossing the finish line, all participants were handed a medal shaped like a wine stopper and received various other kinds of swag such as an array of snacks, kombucha, Gatorade, beer and even a bottle of wine from DeLoach Vineyards. Family members and friends cheered them on while waiting in Old Courthouse Square.

At the end of their race, runners hobbled into the shade, hugged their kids, friends and significant others, posed for photos with their medals, cupped their snacks in their arms and finally read the signs made for them.

“Go Jo Jo! You can do it!” one read.

“Run now. Wine later,” another said.

Kristen Henderson, 32, of Petaluma, made a sign saying, “Yay Nico! You did it! All 26.2.” for her friend Nicole Bailey. Henderson planned to have her college roommate see it as she crossed the finish line.

However, Bailey, 32, of Santa Rosa, finished more than 10 minutes ahead of her goal time.

“She went too fast,” Henderson said of her friend.

Bailey said she plans to celebrate by spending the rest of her day on the couch, drinking wine.

Some of the runners made use of their two beer tickets, exchanging them for small plastic cups filled with the bubbly beverage.

Kristi Berg, 70, of Menlo Park, California, enjoyed the beer she received after completing the half marathon, which she said was her comeback run following a recent injury.

“I feel good,” said Berg, who has ran in more than 100 half marathons and 55 marathons. “Better than I expected.”

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