Mike Donabedian's Staging Area

My wife Christine and I experienced running our first ever Destination Events race this past weekend at the Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon. As local winemakers and avid distance runners, this event nicely combined two of our favorite passions.

First, if you are at all concerned about accommodations and transportation, set your mind at ease because Destination Events has it all dialed in. We stayed at a quaint, local hotel in McMinnville, Oregon and to our delight, the courtesy shuttle service provided by Destination Events to the start line was quick, easy and on time. The course started at Stoller Estates and finished in the rocking wine enclave of Carlton, OR. (After the race and festivities, the shuttle service will either bring you back to the starting line or one of the host hotels. Again, it was easy and convenient for the two of us to return to our hotel after the race and wine tasting fun and festivities.)

Once we got to the starting area, the crisp morning air and breathtaking view of the sun rising over Stoller Estates vineyards was energizing and inspiring to runners gathering prior to the 7am start of the race. As the temperature warmed up, my favorite part of the race was a two-mile stretch between miles 5-7 with a little bit of well-deserved shade and beautifully sloping vineyards along the right side of the road.

Having a 13 mile closed course on rolling country roads in beautiful Oregon wine country is worth the entry fee alone, but you really do get so much more. This time of the year is perfect to run comfortably and enjoy the incredible scenery with occasional hills along the course to challenge any runner. There is more than sufficient volunteer support along the course and a well deserved reward waiting for you at the finish line where a multitude of wine and food vendors cater to your indulgences, not to mention the great music entertainment and joyful company of other finishers. I counted over 25 different wine merchants, who poured at least 2-3 different varietals, and was able to taste in my very own commemorative souvenir wine glass. It was nearly impossible to get around to all of them during the festival! Did I mention the finisher’s medal doubles as a wine-glass coaster?

We visited some of our favorite Oregon wineries and made a few new discoveries and friends as well. In fact, the following day we leisurely strolled through downtown Carlton and stopped at a few wineries that we were introduced to during the post-race festivities. If you’ve ever felt a little rushed or crowded while wine tasting, you won’t find that in Carlton! The neighborly charm and warm hospitality of each wine merchant we visited in Carlton was pleasantly surprising and made us both feel relaxed like we were truly on vacation. This was exactly what we needed after a long run.

This is a no-brainer. Anybody who wants to take in the beautiful scenery of Willamette Valley wine country during a run needs to take advantage of this event!