First Time's A Charm: Martinez Photos Of The Week

MARTINEZ, CA — Some 1,500 runners from 44 states and 16 countries converged on the Bay Area Sunday to compete in the 40th annual Kaiser Permanente Napa Valley Marathon. Yet, the winner of it all hailed from much closer to home. Local photographer Al Francis was there and shares these photos of 34-year-old Martinez resident Andrew Bauer celebrating coming across the finish line in first place. It was his first time running a full marathon (26.2 miles), but that did not deter Bauer from keeping up the pace and taking the men's title with a time of 2 hours, 24 minutes and 4 seconds.

Congratulations, Andrew — the first time was definitely a charm in your case! (Read more about Bauer's win here.)

Thanks also to Al for catching this moment on camera!

It's Your Shot: Pictures You Take and We Share

Have you got the next incredible photo? If you have an awesome photo of nature, breathtaking scenery, kids caught being kids, a pet doing something funny or something unusual you happen to catch, we'd love to feature it on Patch. We're looking for high-resolution images that reflect the beauty that is the Bay Area, and that show off your unique talents.

So, bring 'em on. Not selfies. Not here.

Send your photos to autumn.johnson@patch.com and we'll post the feature on an occasional basis. Or — post it for free in our bulletin board section on the site, and we'll feature it up top. Be sure to also include when and where the shot was taken and any other details about what was going on.

Photo courtesy Al Francis/Napasonomaphotos.com