I pretty much enjoyed everything about the Virginia wine country half. I mean what's not to like about running and drinking wine?? The only negative I saw was that it was a bit pricey for a half marathon, about $100 which didn't include the wine tasting after the race. The tasting was an additional $25. It was also $15 to get your bib at the race rather than picking it up somewhere Friday. There were also fees for a race bus from DC and there was some other type of party later in the day at the Doukenie Winery where the race was held. That said, this race has a lot more to offer than your run of the mill half marathon. It's all set around the beautiful Doukenie Winery. It cannot be cheap to stage a race there. They also many touches and details all throughout the winery that help set the ambiance for the day. I think most runners noticed and appreciated the time and effort put into that, I know I did. There was coffee, water, GU brew and various snacks for the runners. There was plenty of port o potties to handle the crowd. We quickly received our medals and water after the race. There was also HUGE camelback coolers around so that we could get extra water which was really nice since it was humid.

The course itself was pretty hilly but definitely very pretty. There was also 4-5 miles of gravel in the middle of the course. There was more than enough aid stations with water and GU brew. There was also a couple with GU gels. All the volunteers were very helpful and energetic.

It was easy for us to get our wine glasses and enter the wine tasting area. Which I should mention, $25 for a wine glass and unlimited tasting is a pretty good deal. There was probably 10 different wineries, all very excited to be there and gave us lots of information about their products. This area also had a PT clinic who was giving massages and letting runners do sessions in the compression pants for recovery. They were AMAZING! They also had many tables, chairs and benches set up for people to sit, relax and enjoy the wine including many around the lake that was there. It was really a perfect finish to a race even for this beer drinker!

You can read more of my personal story here: http://runningmarathonmom.blogspot.com/2016/06/did-you-say-running-and-wine-virginia.html