Race Preview: Enchanted Forest Wine Run
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 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
