All in all I was super happy with this race, would recommend it and run it again in the future. I know this was the first year so there were bound to be some kinks, even though the local Fleet Feet put on the race, it's seemingly hard to hit a home run first time out. The course was nice and scenic, however my Strava had me at about 3.5 miles. I know courses aren't always perfectly mapped, I always tend to run over or under but only by .1 miles, that was a bit more than expected.

I would also have like the start and finish line to be a bit better gated or roped off. It was difficult starting and finishing with others families all around, standing right on the course with their loved ones. Also, after the race there wasn't a clear direction we were to go in to receive our medals. Thankfully I found a lady just standing around holding some, not even making it known she had them. By the time my Mom finished we couldn't find any to come to hear they had ran out. The race had over 1,000 registrants, however my mom finished right in the middle of the pack and didn't receive a medal, I feel like they should have ordered a little bit more as only half of the runners/walkers got medals.

I was super happy with the before and after party set up area, the booths were nicely set up and appropriately spaced apart to where it never felt like we were at all crowded. The announcements were nice and clear as well, also having some retired hockey players there taking pictures and signing autographs was awesome!! My Dad was thrilled to meet some players he idolized growing up. All around the event was very family friendly and I feel that with the tweak of a few minor things it could run a lot smoother and be that much better!!!

I am used to running rather large races so going from a 40k+ attendance to around 300-400 was a bit unnerving at first. I was really worried about aid stations and all around race organization. I have to say I was beyond impressed with how well this race was handled and planned out! I was constantly kept in the loop by emails from the race director and felt very prepared as far as what to expect race day! We even were given a discount on a local hotel, which we took advantage of!

The night before the race my husband and I drove out the night before and headed to the winery to pick up my shirt and bib. The winery was a bit hard to find and we ended up passing it and had to turn around. I would suggest just a larger sign for racers showing up. Morning of it was simple because there was a line of cars all turning the same way, but the evening before it was a less crowded making it a little less obvious.

The winery was gorgeous, great service and they even had a wonderful dinner menu the night before the race which we ate.

Race morning we showed up back at the winery and the parking attendants seemed to be very organized and spaced everyone very nicely, didn't feel too cramped and there was plenty of space to pull in and out (since the race was on a winery the parking lot was just the grassy area outside).

There were plenty of port-a-potties available for use and I never saw a visible line with people having to wait long times to use them, which was a huge deal for me and has been an issue in the past at larger races.

The course itself was gorgeous, however I do wish we would have run the opposite direction. I understand they wanted us running towards the traffic in order for us to be aware of any cars driving but being in a smaller town there wasn't too much traffic at all. The race started out and it was quite shaded and nice, towards the end we were in direct sun and since it was so hot the heat really was an issue. Had we ran the opposite direction I feel we would have been exposed during the cooler part of the day and shaded at the end when it got hot. The one saving grace was the incredible amounts of aid stations. I was super impressed with the amount and honestly don't think I could have survived the heat without them! Kudos to this race for being so thorough!

After the race they printed out our standings immediately which was really nice and I've never had my results that fast before, super cool! Also they had a great array of post race snacks and drinks. We also received our medals and a commemorative wine glass along with a taste of wine as well!

All in all I would highly recommend this race to anyone looking for a fun and more intimate race!

It was a fun race to do with my group of girlfriends!!! The sweatshirt was incredible and I have worn it so many times this Winter! Of course it was very cold and waiting st the finish for some other friends was a bit tough. The after party was great and the chocolate was exceptional. Running in the cold is always difficult but this race made it worth while and it's an experience we will all have for years to come!

The only reason I wouldn't recommend was due to the fact that Parking was a nightmare, there weren't enough port-a-potties beforehand, my friend and I had to go in the bushes if we wanted to start the race in time (we were over an hour early but between Parking and attempting to wait in line for the bathroom, we needed closer to 2/2.5 hours). Also they ran out of medals for the half so a friend and I had to share one for pictures. Also the course was a little boring. I'm a fan of the distance and the idea but I don't see myself doing it in the future.