Va Wine Country Half Marathon is part of the Destination Races series which hosts races in iconic wine regions throughout the US. There was a half marathon and 5k, with about 70% of the runners being female. Overall, there were approximately 1400 half marathoners.
LOCATION
Loudoun County, VA is literally a hop skip and a jump away from Washington DC. Fly into Dulles for your most convenient, but BWI and DCA are also very reasonable options. Three options to get here=three times the chance to score a cheap flight! My nonstop out of Orlando with Southwest was only $160! As soon as you leave the airport and the packet pick up, you are quickly on country roads noticing more and more farmland and vineyard signs popping up!
REGISTRATION
To run this race, is not cheap, approximately $100 not cheap depending on when you get registered, but in order to enjoy the after party, you have to then purchase a wine glass for an additional $25 ....Plus Tax. And of course who wants to party alone, so your spectator/loved one/friends/family can purchase a wine glass to for $30. They also have convenient adds for those that live in the city , such as Early Packet pick up in Arlington ($10) and a shuttle from Arlington ($38). And if you are traveling far and have a late flight coming in, the only way to do race day packet pick up is to pay an additional $15. And of course things happen in life and sometimes you just can not make the race you registered for, so they offer a Transfer option ($20) and a year deferment ($50).
COMMUNICATION
The website is fully packed with all the information you need. There is a Facebook page with frequent posts, but not a single question posted on their site was acknowledged. Emails are sent frequently as race day approaches.
PACKET PICK UP
The race expo was held at the host hotel Lansdowne Resort. This is a beautiful golf course property, so be prepared to pick up, shop, and maybe sit and enjoy a glass of wine overlooking the golf course! There were a handful of vendors to shop from and Homeaway was giving away running fuel belts!
COURSE
The race starts and finishes at Doukenie Vineyard. Surprisingly, we also parked on two lots on their grass. The course is constant rolling hills on back country roads passing by farmlands, country houses, and one other vineyard with a third of the course on hard gravel. We saw lots of wildlife including a Bambi, horses, sheep, rabbits and lots of honeysuckle lined the road.
START
I arrived an hour early and had no issues parking or with the port potty lines. There were two separate areas of porta potties, which I don't think a lot of people realized.
We had about a 5 minute delay due to the traffic with parking.
There is no official line up nor flags to indicate time separations. This led to entirely too many walkers in the front. When we crossed the start mat, almost no one was running. Once we got off the property drive, everything spaced out on the open road.
HYDRATION STATIONS
All the station were properly stocked with water and Nuun and had enough volunteers. There were no extra fuel provided so make sure to bring your won.
SPECTATORS
Being on country roads closed to the public, there were only a handful of spectators cheering you on, but when you approach the finish everyone is waiting to party!
RESULTS
We got extremely lucky on the weather with this being a June race! It was overcast, in the 60s, with a frequent breeze. The sun made its appearance with perfect timing at the wine festival. Hills can be fun; what goes up, must also come down. With running that means, you have a variety of workout; slow and challenging going up, but fun fast and free going down. The gravel road also mixed things up, having to use different muscles to steady yourself. It was a fun course; until I hit about Mile 10 where I was So.Over.Hills. I'm not going to lie, for a sea level Florida runner, this course was Hard! I wanted to cry (I didn't). I wanted to scream (I did. Sorry nearby runners). But I never gave up and I ended up finishing my average finish time for a flat course, so I am happy. I even had a pit stop to take off my shoe and compression leg sock to see what the intensely sharp ankle pain was that I was having around M6 (it was my anklet).
FINISH
After 13 miles of hills that last .1 of gravel road was depleting. Exhausted, you are handed your medal, water and a bag of.....say what? vitamins, applesauce and a mini Cliff bar??? Looking around for food, I found that was it. They did have a food truck and a crepe cart.....you guessed it....for purchase! I was so sure I missed the real food, I went back and asked a volunteer if there were two different bags and was told the only other thing they had was pork grinds. Not good Destination Races. Not good.
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| Doukenie Vineyard |
WINE FESTIVAL
So to the wine festival I went. The setting was beautiful; located right on their gorgeous pond and in the middle of some grape vines. There was a band playing some oldies but goodies to keep us entertained. People brought their chairs and blankets, some even a picnic lunch, and enjoyed their time. The first thing that caught my eye was a sign up high reading....'COLD SANGRIA!' I headed straight there and found another sign....you guessed it....'For Sale!' WHAT?! Didn't I already pay for this?? I found out they were giving out sips to taste and then you could order a pitcher or buy a bottle of wine. Um, no thanks. I looked around for another line to go to and noticed all of them were about 30 people deep. Exhausted, depleted, starving, I went to the Homeaway tent where I knew they were giving away more goodies and received a phone charger. I then put my name on the massage list and just waited, despite them saying it could be an hour and half. There was no way I was STANDING in line for a SIP of wine after running 13 miles. My plan worked, people were too busy standing in line, they did not show up for their massage and I only waited about half an hour. Once my awesome massage was done, the lines started to go down a bit and I got to enjoy every single one of the 12 vineyards. I met so many interesting people from all over while waiting in those lines and I felt great walking away from this race knowing I had told so many people about The DONNA.
SHIRT/MEDAL
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| Salamander Resort |
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| Salamander Resort Stables |
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| Salamander Resort overlooking Middleburg, VA |
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| Salamander Resort |
ACCOMMODATIONS
This is a true racecation event. The race partners with Homeaway which is a house rental app, but if you are looking for a top notch hotel, Lansdowne Resort is the host hotel or just a little further check out the expansive grounds of Salamander Resort, which is where I stayed. The Salamander is about 35 minutes to the race start, but will definitely round out your long weekend vacation with several outdoor activities to enjoy right on property such as horse back riding, zip lining, hiking, lawn games, falconry, bonfires, basketball, tennis, awesome spa, and outdoor pool (I'm sure I missed so much more). On the expansive grounds you will find lots of wildlife including roaming deer, and fire flies that bring in the night! The Salamander Resort sits right off the small downtown of Middleburg, VA where you will find a handful of other wineries nearby, as well as a cider distillery, historic buildings, and even a polo field.
SUGGESTED VINEYARDS
Bluemont Vineyards is noted as one of the best vineyards with a view and it was true. I was surprised to find out they actually have the vineyard, a farm across the road, and a brewery next door, Dirt Farm Brewery which had just as fabulous (if not better) view. On a clear day, they claim you can see the US Monument. It was hazy my day, but they did point out Tysons Square skyline which was cool. Bluemont has a double decker patio as well as outdoor bar. Dirt Farm has a large patio with umbrellas on the cliff. Both are family and pet friendly.
I also stopped by Breaux which was seemed fabulous and everyone else must have thought so too, because I could not find a solo chair outside. They had live music and lots of seating, but none open, so I continued on and found Hillsborough Vineyard which had a nice patio with garden overhang for shade. Both of these locations let you bring outside food.
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| Dirt Farm Brewery |
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| Bluemont Vineyard |
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| Bluemont Vineyard |
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| Breaux Vineyard |
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| Hillsborough Vineyard |
OVERALL THOUGHTS
I grew up in Virginia Beach but never really experienced this part of Virginia before now. I had no idea how beautiful the countryside is in the summer, with so many cute small towns, and an endless supply of vineyards and breweries to explore! The race, despite being on the expensive side, was a lot of fun and something different to enjoy for a racecation. I walked away remembering why "Virginia is for Lovers." There's so much to do and see you will want to share it with your loved ones! So pack up the family (and pets) as almost everywhere you can bring both and enjoy this unique experience!
HM#74
13.1-2:26
Pink Feet's half marathon calendar runs from March to February with the final race being the full marathon at The DONNA Marathon! I am on Year 7 of a 10 year mission to complete the 50 states while also running a half marathon a month; all to help spread the word of breast cancer prevention, early detection, and living a healthy lifestyle including running and walking. My goal is to raise $100,000 for breast cancer charities. Current donations are going to The DONNA Marathon whose beneficiaries are The Mayo Clinic and Donna Foundation.
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