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Race Preview: Enchanted Forest Wine Run

Looking for an amazing race full of magical surprises, fun and crazy costumes, lots of awards and prizes, some good wine, fun atmosphere, challenging but beautiful terrain and fun for the whole family?  Look no further than The Enchanted Forest Wine Run!  Distances include a Half marathon, 5K and 1/4 miler for the kids.

There is some pretty awesome swag up for grabs for all registrants in the 5K or half marathon.

Your goodie bag will include:  Custom race wine glass; glass of Wooldridge Creek Wine; Beautiful designed race bib; Injinji running toe-socks; Wine at aid station by Wooldridge Creek Winery; and a great post race celebration with live music.

For the Half Marathon finishers, goodies will also include an organic meal by Fulcrum Dining; a finisher’s medal to commemorate your achievement; an EPIC bar; and 3 aid stations each fueled with something enchanting.  Cold Brew at an aid station by Noble Coffee Roasting, chocolate at an aid station by Zorba’s Raw Chocolates and a third aid station will include wine from Wooldridge Creek Winery.

Shirts were available for order until Aug. 15th, and the designs are beautiful.  Since we are past that deadline, I’m hoping there will be a few extras at the finish line for anyone who missed out.  I love the design!  This is further incentive for me to be sure to get my race registrations in on a timely manner.

The time limit for the half marathon is 3.5 hours.  This is a trail race with lots of climbing!  The course is going to be a bit of a challenge, but runners will see views of a beautiful forest, mountains and the vineyard, but this likely won’t be your personal PR race unless you are trying to outdo last year’s time.

The first three miles of the Half Marathon course is the 5K course which starts on a gravel road and leads to a single track and tours the winery.  The 5K finishes through the winery’s rows of Gewurztraminer.  My favorite.

For the half, the race will continue beyond the fields of grapes, travel for a half mile on a paved road to a single track trail with some climbing and switchbacks.  Enjoy the views of the valley, the Enchanted Forest and the moss-covered trees towering above. Wander through flowering meadows, Slagle Creek’s lush greenery of ferns, then to old-growth maples and picturesque sections.  The trail will lead you through the Twilight Gardens and pass under an old oak tree whose trunk has arched into an arbor leading to more trails and loops back to some of these landmark locations.  In the Enchanted Forest you never know what you might find….

During the races, there are contests, such as locating mushroom shaped hats and finishing the race with the hat will enable you for some pretty sweet prizes.  Would you like an overnight stay at Lithia Springs Resort or Ashland Hills Hotel & Suites?

If you can’t locate the hats, don’t worry… other contests include the best dressed pack of gnomes getting their pick of North Face gear (4 prizes available) and the best dressed forest fairy will take home an UltraSpire hydration pack.  Feeling a little wicked?  Take that dark, wild and twisted side to channel your inner troll or dragon for your chance at some Smith Optics sunglasses.  The contests and prizes don’t end there.  My personal favorite is the most enchantingly dressed family who runs the race TOGETHER will win the Spirited Active Family award and takes home a brand new BOB running stroller!  Sign me up!

5k Course map:  http://thewinerun.com/images/WineRun5kCourseMap.pdf

Date:  Sept. 27, 2014
Start Time:  10am Half Marathon Packet Pickup; 11am Half Marathon start; 11:05am 5K Packet Pickup; 12pm 5K start; 1pm Kids’ Packet Pickup; 1:30pm Kids’ race start and post race celebration starts at 2pm.
 818 Slagle Creek Rd.
Grants Pass, OR 97527
 Cost:  as of Sept 1st, Half Marathon Run is $65, 5K Run/ Walk is $40 and no matter which deadline has passed, the Kids’ 1/4 miler is always $5.
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