I love the Napa Valley Marathon! As a local, it is so fun to run this event in my own backyard. But, even for those running destination marathons, it doesn't get much better than this. The course is gorgeous - who doesn't love Napa Valley in the springtime? The course is full of nice, rolling hills that offer the best challenge (and the last 5 flat, straight miles are a good mental challenge). The volunteers are wonderful - at the finish each runner is greeted by someone to make sure they are okay. The swag bag is amazing! It's a reusable duffel bag with the NVM and Asics logos to reuse for the gym or overnight trips stuffed with snacks. I have three small complaints about the race: There are no pacers so you have to pace yourself, the expo is small (but it's a small race, so it doesn't matter much), and the t-shirts are unisex. This is probably my biggest complaint - I'm pretty sure separate men's and women's shirts don't hurt the bottom line.
I would totally recommend this race to anyone!
EDIT: T-shirts are now gender specific! Horray!