Very fun, beautiful race starting in downtown Petaluma and will take you through farm country. You will definitely see some cows, sheep and maybe an emu or two. It is a well-marked and supported out and back course. There were three aid stations on the 10k course.

The course is on hilly paved roads. One thing that I've noticed in our local running community is that a lot of people run the half marathon course and don't run it again for a few more years. It is probably brutal (but still beautiful.) Most of the roads were still open to traffic, so making sure to follow directions from the race volunteers and police officers is key for safety.

At the end of the race there was a small contained race party. All runners could get water, bananas, Clover Chocolate milk and a breakfast burrito provided by a local vendor.

Temperatures in the morning in September tend to be nice and cool as they are for most of the Bay Area, creating perfect running conditions for a challenging course.

The race didn't have much in terms of swag, which is fine by me. The shirt is a nice quality tech shirt, and the race medal is a huge colorful cowbell. Every year the cowbell is a different color. And this year they offered free race photos...the best swag of all.

Overall, this race is well-organized and could make for a fun activity if you are visiting Sonoma County checking out our local wineries.

This was a relatively small local race put on by the Empire Runners Club. It takes place on July 4th, so it's a great way to kick off the holiday. The course is very hilly and takes you through beautiful country roads and vineyards.

The race starts and ends at Kenwood Plaza. There is parking available in the surrounding streets. The course is well-marked and there are plenty of water stops along the way.

The scenery is top notch. I was not expecting to cut through vineyards during the race, so that was a really nice surprise. I know a lot of people think of Napa County as wine country, but Sonoma County also has it going on in that department.

The after race party was great and they offered yummy food to enjoy. They also offer an optional after-race pancake breakfast that you can purchase when you register. It sells out very fast!