FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
DEVON YANKO AIMS FOR FOURTH WOMEN'S TITLE
AT KAISER PERMANENTE NAPA VALLEY MARATHON
NAPA, Calif. - February 24, 2018 - The Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley
Marathon (KP-NVM) announced today that three-time women's champion Devon
Yanko will return to the world-renowned Napa Valley and highlight a
compact, but determined, elite field on Sunday, March 4, 2018. Yanko (née
Crosby-Helms), age 35, has competed four previous times on the race's fast
point-to-point 26.2-mile course, and emerged victorious in three of those
instances (in 2007, 2012, and 2015) and placed third in 2014. Only one
athlete to date has won NVM four times: Mary Coordt (Elk Grove, Calif.) who
ran away with women's victories in 1997, 2005, 2009, and 2010. Today,
Coordt serves as KP-NVM's Elite Athlete Recruiter and Coordinator.
Yanko's winning time of 2 hours, 39 minutes, and 37 seconds in 2012 stands
as the KP-NVM women's course record. The superb KP-NVM men's course record
of 2:16:20 was set in 1987 by U.S. National Distance Running Hall of Fame
member Dick Beardsley. KP-NVM's scenic, gently-rolling course through
Napa's world-renowned wine producing region has stayed the same for the
entire 39-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).
In her prolific 13-year racing career, Yanko estimates she has completed 36
marathons (26.2 miles) and 44 ultramarathons-races that range from 50
kilometers (323 miles) to 100 miles in distance. She has competed four
times on the U.S. national 100 km team, including the gold medal winning
women's team at the 2009 100 km World Championships in Belgium organized by
the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU). Her personal record at
the marathon distance is 2:38:55, a mark she recorded at the 2012 U.S.
Olympic Marathon Trials race in Houston.
"I love the Napa Valley Marathon," said Yanko who owns and operates M.H.
Bread and Butter bakery in her hometown of San Anselmo, Calif. with her
husband, Nathan. "I keep coming back because the course is awesome, the
race is well organized and executed, and it's just a great smaller race
with a really big heart. I've had many great experiences there."
KP-NVM, which is widely known at the "biggest little race in the West,"
limits entries to 3,000 participants, a number that is largely determined
by the number of available hotel rooms in the world-renowned Napa Valley
wine producing and tasting region.
Last March, Yanko suffered a foot injury which wasn't fully diagnosed as a
full fracture of her calcaneus (heel bone) until late October. She
subsequently had foot surgery and resumed her running in December.
"NVM is really the first step in setting up my competitive year," Yanko
said about her 2018 racing campaign which will include a return trip to the
prestigious Comrades Marathon (actually an 89 km ultra race) in South
Africa in June, "I have to be in fast marathon shape for that one. Napa
will help me get a read on how my post surgery training is going and how we
attack the next stages of training going forward."
Additional top female entrants for the 2018 KP-NVM include the following
athletes:
Kristen Zaitz (37, Broomfield, Colo.) is a three-time U.S. Olympic Marathon
Trials qualifier who owns a fast 2:32:38 personal best marathon, a
performance she recorded while placing third at the 2014 California
International Marathon in Sacramento. In 2010 she represented the U.S. at
the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships and placed 39th in a very
competitive international field with a time of 1:16:21. In addition, she
has placed among the top 10 women nine times at U.S. National Road Racing
Championships of various distances ranging from 10 km to 25 km. Today,
Zaitz spends much of her time attending to her one-year-old daughter.
"I chose the Napa Valley Marathon because it gave me ample time after
giving birth to start training and be consistent," Zaitz said. "Being a
mother has given me a more laid back approach and a better perspective on
running and has forced me to be flexible with my training. My husband and I
love Napa and know we can make a fun vacation out of it after the race. The
course appeals to me."
Cassie Scallon (35, Santa Barbara, Calif.) has college degrees in Sports
Management and Nursing. Her flexible job as a nurse allows her to take
frequent running trips, often to ultra-distance races up to 100 miles long.
She was the women's victor at USA Track and Field's road 50-Mile
Championships in 2013 and was USATF's 100 km trail national champion in
2012 and 2016. Scallon has been selected for Team USA 100 km national teams
three times (2012, 2014, and 2015) and Team USA's ultra trail world
championship teams twice (2015, 2016). She owns a 2:56:57 personal best
marathon, recorded in 2016.
"I've chosen the Napa Valley Marathon because I've heard it's fun,
beautiful, and that the course plays well to ultrarunners with its rolling
hills. I'm meeting friends from Boulder at the race," said Scallon who
moved from Boulder, Colo, to Santa Barbara a year ago.
Sarah Hallas (38, Cotati, Calif.) has competed in numerous marathons and
half marathons and owns a personal best marathon of 2:52:11 which she
recorded at the 2012 Santa Barbara Marathon. In 2005, she won the women's
race at the San Francisco Marathon in 2:56:55. Also in 2005, Hallas was the
women's runner-up at the Napa Valley Marathon recording a time of 2:57:42.
Danielle Quatrochi (41, Boulder, Colo.) refers to herself as a former
aspiring U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier who was fortunate enough to
qualify for the 2012 Trials by recording a 2:44:55 at the 2011 California
International Marathon in Sacramento-a time that remains her all-time
personal best. Following the 2012 Trials Quatrochi took an extended break
from running to have her third child.
"Balancing motherhood, work, and training was a fulltime focus, but it was
perfect at the time," Quatrochi recalls. "Today I have a new sense of focus
as a Master runner."
Quatrochi decided to run the 2018 KP-NVM to support her girlfriend, Kristen
Zaitz (see above), in her comeback marathon after having her first child.
"We were training partners for the 2012 Olympic Marathon Trials," Quatrochi
said. "And, the best part of running is friendship, so my focus has been
just that. My goal is to run smooth and enjoy the Napa Valley since this is
my first visit to the wine country."
On the men's side Vojta Ripa (28, Santa Rosa, Calif.) is the leading
contender to ascend the victor's stand. Ripa was born in the Czech Republic
and came to the U.S. at the age of 10 with his mom and brother. His
personal best marathon is 2:36:21, recorded at the 2016 California
International Marathon.
"I chose Napa because I hear it's a beautiful, fast course, and it's right
here near where I live," Ripa said. "This will also be a special day for me
because it will be my daughter's first birthday and my wife and I are
looking forward to celebrating it with her in gorgeous Napa."
The 2018 Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon starts on Sunday, March 4th
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 north
Napa. Top marathon finishers will arrive at the finish line at
approximately 9:20 a.m.
The 2018 edition of KP-NVM has been selected by the Road Runners Club of
America as its National 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 fine Napa Valley wine etched with their
championship accomplishments. The overall male and female winners of the
race also receive their "weight in wine." The marathon awards ceremony will
begin at 12:30 p.m. in the Vintage High School quad.
KP-NVM's companion race, the Kiwanis Club of Greater Napa 5K (3.1 miles),
begins at Vintage High School at 8 a.m. and ends at the marathon finish
line before the first marathoners arrive. 5K finishers are encouraged to
stick around and watch the exciting marathon finish.
Whole Foods Market will host the official post-race refueling zone,
providing water, fruit, soup and bread, acai berry bowls, and much more, to
all finishers.
Additional Race Weekend Events:
At the Napa Valley Marathon's annual Marathon College, held the day before
the race, a lineup of experts will discuss topics of interest for
marathoners (and all runners). The Marathon College is scheduled for
Saturday, March 3rd from 10 a.m. to approximately 4 p.m. at the Napa Valley
Marriott Hotel & Spa. KP-NVM weekend also includes a Sports and Fitness
Expo on Friday, March 2nd from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, March 3rd
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.
Here is the list of topics and presenters scheduled for the Marathon
College on Saturday featuring legendary marathoner Joan Benoit
Samuelson-the winner of the first-ever women's Olympic marathon which took
place at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
10:00 a.m. "Improve Your Form & Performance" by Dr. Eshwar Kapur, a Kaiser
Permanente sports medicine physician and 29-year road racing veteran.
11:00 a.m. "How Building Core Strength Is the Key to Maximum Endurance" by
Kaiser Permanente physical therapists.
Noon-1:30 p.m. Keynote Session: "A Conversation with Joanie," a relaxed,
intimate conversation with Joan Benoit-Samuelson who will be making her
third visit to KP-NVM. Joe Henderson, former editor of Runner's World and
author of two dozen running books, once again serves as moderator for the
noon keynote session.
1:30 p.m. "Secrets of Running the Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon
Course." A half-dozen KP-NVM veterans will give their insider advice on how
to best maximize race performance on the Napa Valley course, one of the
most beautiful in the world.
3:00 p.m. "Nutritional Fuel: How to spruce up your training regime with
tasty pre-workout fuel" presented by Clif Family Winery chef John
McConnell.
6:00 p.m. Marriott Pasta Feed. A special program by the Marathon College
faculty will be presented between dinner and dessert. Pasta dinner tickets
can be ordered with race entry, or can be purchased at race registration on
race weekend. Seats are limited to 180 people. The cost is $40 per person.
Entry slots are still available for both the Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley
Marathon and the companion Kiwanis Club of Greater Napa 5K Run. Online
registration closes on Thursday, March 1, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. PST. After
that, runners may enter in-person at the Sports and Fitness Expo on Friday,
March 2nd from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday, March 3rd from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m. at the Marriott. There is NO race day registration.
Every Napa Valley Marathon participant assists important local causes. All
proceeds from the Napa Valley Marathon, a non-profit 501(c)(3)
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 KP-NVM
is approximately $3 million annually in direct spending.
For more information about the Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon,
please visit the marathon's web site at www.napavalleymarathon.org.
The Napa Valley Marathon appreciates generous sponsor support from Kaiser
Permanente/Thrive, Napa Valley Marriott Hotel & Spa, Legendary Napa Valley,
Road Runners Club of America, Whole Foods Market, Gatorade Endurance,
MarathonFoto, Napa Running Company, Running USA, USA Track & Field, KCBS AM
and FM Radio, KPIX CBS5, KBCW 44 Cable 12, XFINITY, KVON 1440 AM, KVYN/99.3
The Vine, Wallaby Organic, Napa Smith Brewery, California Half and Full
Marathon Series, and NakedWines.com.
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