July 25, 2011
25/07/2011 16:03:24
In this Grapevine e-news......
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2012 Santa Barbara
registration to open August 10th!
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Inaugural Virginia race a
success
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Napa-to-Sonoma race sees women's course record shattered
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Oregon registration still open -
price increases after August 1
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Healdsburg nears sell-out for
Oct. 29 race
7/25/11
I8149.jpg "Start(Sm)I8149")
Runners depart Cuvaison Winery at the start of the 2011 Napa-to-Sonoma race
SANTA BARBARA WINE COUNTRY HALF MARATHON - May 12, 2012
Registration scheduled to open August 10th
Are you ready to plan next years running destinations? Put the word out to friends and family that registration for the 2012 Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon opens on Wednesday August 10th. The 2012 race date is Saturday May 12th, which falls on the Saturday before Mother's Day so moms can run with their sons, daughters, and friends. There is plenty to see and do in the area, especially when the weather is ideal in May, so plan to stay in Santa Barbara and the Santa Ynez Valley for a few days to tour around and enjoy other activities. This event fills up quickly and the early registration price only lasts until September 15th. www.runsantaynez.com
VIRGINIA WINE COUNTRY HALF MARATHON
Race date set for June 9, 2012
2,000 runners participated in the inaugural Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon on June 4th in Loudoun County, VA. The weather was ideal for running and fun was had by all at the post-race Wine & Music Festival at Doukenie Winery. Due to the popularity of our inaugural event we expect the 2012 race to sell out quickly. Race date is set for Saturday June 9, 2012 and registration will open in mid-September. Stay posted on the website for the actual registration date opening, along with more information about the event. Some changes are planned to ease traffic while making transportation easier to the start and finish venues. Keep in mind the field size is limited to this race and it sold out six months in advance last year, so form your teams and tell your running friends to sign up early! www.run4virginiawine.com
NAPA-TO-SONOMA WINE COUNTRY HALF MARATHON
Kirui sets course record!
Another record breaking performance was witnessed at the 8th running of the Napa-to-Sonoma race just held on July 17th. Tesfaye Alemayahu of Ethiopia defended his title by edging out two-time Destination Races champions Christian Hesch and Sergio Reyes, who battled all the way to the finish line. Diminuitive Caroline Kirui, from Kenya, ran a speedy 1:15:45, beating out former Destination Races champions Julia Mallon and Tiffanie Marley, breaking the course record by over 2 minutes. The race also featured wine tasting and a band on-course for the first time. And the new GunBunFunRun 5K successfully integrated into the half marathon. Author and Olympian Dick Beardsley was the guest speaker at our pasta dinner in Gloria Ferrer Wine Caves sponsored by Mara's Pasta. Cornerstone Sonoma hosted a two-day expo and the Wine & Music Festival featured great music and 18 wineries. CCFA's Team Challenge raised $1.7 million while Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready completed his first half marathon running with his wife and the Seattle chapter. Congratulations to all who completed Napa-to-Sonoma! Check out the 2011 race results and photos now posted on Brightroom.com. www.napa2sonoma.com
OREGON WINE COUNTRY HALF MARATHON - September 4th!
Register Now! Price increase after August 1st.
The second annual Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon promises to be a fantastic event! Our race expo and pasta dinner is held at the Evergreen Aviation museum amongst the Spruce Goose and other eye-popping aviation spectacles. There is a team competition for groups of 6 or more ($10 discount) and a 2-person relay option for those of you looking to split the 13.1 miles. Register online this week before the prices go up on August 2nd. This race not only features amazing scenery but a post-race festival with two dozen fantastic wineries! Oregon's beautiful Yamhill Valley is located just south of Portland within the Willamette Valley and features some of the best Pinot Noir in the world. Lots of events are scheduled all weekend so plan to stay and play on Labor Day Weekend. www.run4oregonwine.com
HEALDSBURG WINE COUNTRY HALF MARATHON
October 29th race nearing sell-out!
Registration for the 4th annual Healdsburg Wine Country Half Marathon will soon be full! This popular Halloween and wine harvest themed race is a favorite among runners, volunteers and staff, as the autumn colors in the vineyards make a photographic paradise. The race starts at Coppola winery and runs through the Alexander and Dry Creek Valleys, finishing below Lake Sonoma for the Wine & Music Festival. Costumes are the norm, the energy is like a rock concert and the scenery is.....well, you need to see it for yourself. Another weekend full of fun activities hosted at some of our favorite wineries. And if you need to make airline reservations, we now have an official airline, Alaska Airlines, which flies into all Northern California airports, including nearby Sonoma County Airport (SCA) in Santa Rosa, just a few miles from all the event activities. Go to our travel partners page and click on the Alaska Airlines logo/link to get 10% off current fares. Register and plan your trip now! www.runhealdsburg.com
A note from Destination Races
Getting to know our participants is one of the most appealing aspects of our job. We love hearing about your experiences and sharing race photos. Its been a busy year for us but we promise to communicate more in the future through our Grapevine e-news, Facebook, surveys and other avenues. Make sure to visit our Facebook pages and Brightroom to view and post event photos, and look for the official race videos to be posted on the website when available. We'll be introducing some exciting new features to our future events, some of which were successfully "test-marketed" at our Napa-to-Sonoma event. As you know registration to most of our events sell out very quickly, so make sure to plan ahead and sign up early. Thanks for being part of the experience and we look forward to seeing you again soon!
Produced by Destination Races "Cool Races in Beautiful Places"