Packet pick-up - the nicest volunteers were working the packet pick up. I have never had such nice people give me my bib and shirt, it was such a treat, and really started the race off on a good note. They also had really nice things in the bag - snacks that I was actually interested in AND discounts for the wineries near the race! The pick-up was at Foot Traffic, a running store in Portland. There wasn't much to it, but i'm totally ok with that. It was also nice that the race took place in Washington, but they offered a pick up in Portland, very convenient.

Race day - The race gave really detailed instructions a few days before the event. They took everyone to park about a half mile from the race start at a school that was providing free parking. The race then shuttled everyone to Rusty Grape Vineyards. I needed to warm up, so I just ran to the start.

Race area - the race started and finished at the vineyard. There were a good amount of port-o-potties, and lots of volunteers giving all sort of info you'd need. I'm pretty sure you could also pick-up your packet on race day. The day started out really foggy, and the vineyard was beautiful.

Race - The race was self-seeded and everyone was pretty respectful of where they should start. We started right on time, going down a 2 lane highway. Roads were closed off, so traffic was coming in both directions. It threw me off at first, but once I knew to expect it, it wasn't a huge deal. There were 4 waters stations, 2 of which were at other vineyards in the area and they offered gatorade, water, and wine! That was a really cool touch. They water and gatorade was in the same cups, which made it kinda hard to know what you were grabbing, but that's an easy fix. This race was hilly - lots of rolling hills, rarely were you running on flat, but I'm also kind of a baby when it comes to hills. It was about 800ft of elevation.

Post-race - We got AWESOME medals - it was a wine stopper/pourer but in the shape of a bull's head - so cool! The race director, Elby was at the finish line welcoming everyone in. He was so energetic and really made each runner feel special. All runners also got a North County Wine Run stemless wine glass, and free wine from Rusty Vineyards. They also had pasta, dinner rolls, and salad for everyone - it was super tasty! The vineyard had super cool out door areas with fire pits. It was a blast to hang out, enjoy the nice day, and have fun with everyone who ran.

I definitely recommend doing this race - bring your friends and make a day of it. We checked out another vineyard about a mile away, and it was also tasty. We got FREE tastings, thanks to a coupon in the race packet. The volunteers of this race def love the event. From runners, to staff, to volunteers, everyone was incredibly nice, and there to have a great time to together.

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