Virginia Wine Country 1/2 Marathon

This June, thousands of runners and wine enthusiasts from around the world will gather in Loudoun County, Virginia, for the inaugural Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon. The race, which sold out four months after being announced, is the newest addition to the popular Wine Country Half Marathon series. Additional wine and food-themed events will be held throughout the county, beginning on Thursday, June 2, and ending on Sunday of that weekend. Leesburg is the hub city for the event and is located just 15 miles west of Dulles airport.

Weekend Oasis Vacation Rentals has rental cabins in Virginia that you can enjoy with quick access to the Virginia Wine Country 1/2 marathon.  We still have availability and would love to host your trip!

Matthew Dockstader founded Destination Races and introduced the first Napa-to-Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon in 2004. Napa-to-Sonoma is the company's flagship event and now sells out two weeks after registration opens. Santa Barbara (Santa Ynez Valley) and Healdsburg, California, followed, and in 2010 Oregon (Willamette Valley) was added to the series. Virginia is the fifth event in the series, and the first ever held in the east.

"We pride ourselves in designing some of the most scenic point-to-point road courses in the world," says Dockstader. "Our boutique-style events each have their own unique flavor, but all wind through the back roads of popular wine regions and finish with our trademark Wine & Music Festival. Our fields are restricted to 3,000 or less runners so we can offer a more exclusive destination experience and the finest in wine-country hospitality."

The Virginia course begins at Breaux Vineyards in Hillsboro and is set on Virginia scenic byways, many of which follow the same historic routes they did when they were chartered centuries ago. Featuring stunning vistas, the route meanders past historic farms, by rolling vineyards and farmland and along tree-canopied country lanes. The 13.1-mile route ends at Doukenie Winery, site of the post-race Wine & Music Festival, where runners join family and friends to enjoy locally farmed food, entertainment, the awards ceremony and wine tasting from Loudoun's finest vintners.

Two-thirds of the registered runners travel more than 60 miles to attend the races, and most bring family and friends. With these impressive numbers it is not surprising the local economies receive a major boost in tourism spending during the weekend and the wineries gain new customers. According to independent surveys, almost 70% of the participants purchase wine, and 80% visit one or more wineries during their stay.

Destination Races also partners with hotels, wineries, visitors bureaus and other local businesses to make their races a true destination event. Visit Loudoun, the convention and visitors' association of the county, was instrumental in bringing the event to Virginia. "We are so excited to be working with Destination Races to bring this race to Loudoun. It will introduce our destination to a whole new audience of wine travelers who seek recreational experiences in scenic locations," says Jeremy Harvey, vice president of destination marketing for Visit Loudoun. "The Wine Country Half Marathon is an integral component of our efforts to position Loudoun, Virginia, as DC's Wine Country and a must-see wine destination on the East Coast."

The Loudoun Wineries Association is also a key participant, and a sponsor of the Virginia event. Many of the 24 member wineries will be pouring at the post-race Wine & Music Festival at Doukenie Winery, and others are hosting activities over the weekend. The Lifestyle Expo is held on Friday, June 3, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm at Landsdowne Resort, and features exhibitors, seminars, packet pickup and a wine garden featuring local wineries. The expo is open to the public and the cost of a wine glass with tasting is $20. Annette Boyd, Executive Director of the Virginia Wine Board, will be a guest speaker at the pasta dinner at Bluemont Vineyards on Friday evening. On Saturday after the post-race Wine & Music Festival, an organized tour of four LWA wineries is being offered, and on Saturday evening Tarara Winery will host a finisher's party and concert.

The race sold out in December of 2010 and in March 100 spots were randomly selected from a list of almost 1,000 people who registered for the second-chance list. For the philanthropically motivated there may still be an opportunity to gain an entry into the race by contacting Crohn's & Colitis Foundation's Team Challenge program or Merlin USA, which are posted on the Destination Races website. These non-profit organizations provide reserved entries, training programs and other benefits for those willing to fundraise for their organization. Special Olympics of Loudoun County provides a bulk of the volunteer support and serves as the primary event beneficiary.

For more event details visitwww.run4virginiawine.com or contact Destination Races at raceinfo@destinationraces.com or 707-933-1769.