Bay Area Native Becomes 1st Woman To Win Napa To Sonoma Half Marathon

NORTH BAY, CA — History was made Sunday at the 20th running of the Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport Napa to Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon as veteran runner Liza Reichert became the first woman to win the race overall.

Reichert, 36, crossed the finish line in 1 hour, 19 minutes, and 29 seconds.

“Oh my gosh, it feels great,” Reichert said after her victory.

What made Reichert’s achievement even more remarkable was that she won just seven months after giving birth to her third child, in her first race post-pregnancy.

“We weren’t sure we wanted to bring all the kids along because of the logistics,” said Reichert, who, with her husband Kota, has a 6-year-old and a 3-year-old. “I don’t think the older ones wanted to miss out. They enjoy watching me race.”

Reichert, a Bay Area native originally from Half Moon Bay and currently residing in Moss Beach, trained for the event whenever she could fit it into her day.

“Kota and I are a good team. We’re a tag team. We give each other chances to work and train,” she said.

Kota, who once finished second in the race, was beaming with pride.

“It’s awesome. I couldn’t be more proud of her,” he said.

Reichert also praised the race’s scenic beauty.

“You’re warming up in Napa, and you see the hot air balloons rising over the hills. It’s just beautiful out there,” she said.

Lauren Totten finished second among the women with a time of 1:21:41. David Vaseliou was the first male finisher at 1:20:15, followed by Edwin Reyes-Herrera at 1:20:59.

Race weekend featured a touching reunion. Last year, Sonoma resident Julius Schillinger, then 76, collapsed after a 5K in Petaluma. His heart stopped for 23 minutes. Technically, he died but survived thanks to CPR administered at the scene. On Sunday, Schillinger won his age group for the third consecutive year in the Rosé 5K, finishing in 49 minutes and 5 seconds.

One of the people who helped save Schillinger’s life was Vanessa Cummings, a cardiac nurse who had been running beside him.

“It did not look good to me,” Cummings recalled about the incident more than a year ago.

She was part of the team who administered CPR to Schillinger before paramedics arrived. Later that night, she found him at the hospital where she worked, leading to a tearful reunion and a lasting friendship.

"I was just fortunate it didn’t happen when I was out on the course because nobody would have been able to do CPR," Schillinger said after his age-group win. "I’m fortunate it didn’t happen after I left and got in my car. I would have hurt somebody, plus myself. I didn’t want to die, apparently."

Of the three people who administered CPR, Schillinger said, "Those three lifesavers answered the mystery of if there’s life after death."

Schillinger, who has a doctorate from Kent State University, has run for more than 50 years, including eight finishes in the noma Wine Country Half Marathon. His license plate reads “DRJRUNS,” a play on Dr. J, Julius Erving.

“I always look at the rosé glass as three-quarters full,” Schillinger said. “You can’t be all full because everyone’s going to hit speed bumps, but you’re better off three-quarters full because that means you’re looking at things in a positive way.”

More than 5,000 runners and walkers participated in Sunday's half-marathon and Saturday's Rosé 5K. The event, which saw representation from 47 states and 17 countries, included a free two-day Health Expo at the downtown Sonoma Plaza and a finish line wine-tasting festival on Sunday showcasing more than 20 local wineries and live music.

Over the race's 20-year history, charity partners have fundraised more than $25 million for various causes and nonprofit organizations.

"This is incredible," said Jon Stout, general manager of Charles M. Schulz-Sonoma County Airport. "Especially being the 20th running and having the overall winner be a female. The energy is high throughout the town of Sonoma and Sonoma County, and we’re proud to be part of this community."

For complete results, photos and more, visit Runnapatosonoma.com.