Saturday, I discovered Bothe-Napa State Park in a recent trail marathon run. The course was essentially a rugged course of single track with many rocks and roots. With approximately 1250 feet of elevation, each pass of the canyon was a tough climb. The marathon required a full passing of the canyon three (3) times plus two travels on the westward trail that ended at the Bale Grist Mill Park, historic site to make the complete 26.2 miles.
The park is stunning and quite possibly one of the best trail runs that I have ever done! For extra adventure, the downfall of rain made for an exhilarating trail run.
Run by Envirosport, there was also a half marathon and a 10k. Even the shorter distances had to run a pass (or two, if doing the half marathon distance) of the canyon). This steep climb was even tougher conditions with the phenomenal rain that was to be had in the Napa region...made for slippery slide on some descents!
Typically, I would not have afforded the time to sign up and train for this race due to the challenging terrain. I would have had to opt for a shorter distance or if to select a full marathon, I would have had to sign up for the Nike 26.2 or Morgan Hill 26.2. This race was a truly a one-of-a-kind experience and I cannot wait to make another go for this next spring or fall time. It was worth taking the adventure and I recommend others to give it a try.
Keep running, hiking, or trailblazing, my friends