For its third consecutive year, The Kelowna Wine Country Half Marathon will showcase the Okanagan Valley to thousands of runners.
This half marathon isn’t your typical 21.1 kilometre race. It’s much more of a granular experience, as it invites participants to truly dive deeply into the local scene.
Destination Races produces eight events around the US and Canada, and rates Kelowna a perfect 5/5 in terms of its scenery.
Part of that is due to the lake views, but the other is the gorgeous rolling hills of endless grape vines of the esteemed wineries throughout the Okanagan.
To ensure people get a taste of the whole region, Destination Races sets up a number of events in different areas, which creates a perfect itinerary for those visiting from out of town.
On Friday, Sept. 4, there is a marathon welcome reception at the Quails’ Gate winery in West Kelowna.
On Saturday, Sept. 5, participants can make their way to the Delta Grand Hotel to check out the race expo activities.
On Saturday evening,there will be a pre-race dinner hosted by Sandhill Wines. The runners get to socialize, sample local fare, and imbibe a wider selection of local wines. The pre-race dinner also hosts a guest speaker every year, and is typically an accomplished Canadian athlete who tells their own stories of success and struggles with running, but also lends advice to all of those embarking on the following day’s half marathon.
Race day begins bright and early on Sunday, Sept 6, 7 a.m., at the Vibrant Vine winery on Pooley Road in Kelowna.
Ultimately, this event is really much more of a full regional experience. Kelowna is such a hidden gem for many in the US, and the Kelowna Wine Country Half Marathon is a great event for helping visitors get a much more in-depth grasp of many things the Okanagan has to offer.