By Don Urquhart, Times Chronicle
This year’s Half Corked Marathon kicked off the evening of Friday Sept. 9 with the traditional pre-marathon Primavera dinner accompanied by wine tastings from five Osoyoos and Oliver wineries.
The beautiful late-summer evening saw progressive food and wine sampling, interactions with award-winning wineries and fantastic culinary delights prepared by a variety of talented chefs including Popolo café, the famous and ever-popular Paella Guys and Sugar Quail Bake Shop.
The actual marathon began in the coolness of the 6:45 a.m. morning on Saturday as the first batch of runners and walkers headed through the rows of vines at Rust Wine Co.
2022 Half Corked Marathon brings out the fun! Don Urquhart photo
This year saw about 1,100 participants making their way along the 22km route that weaved through vineyards, along two of Canada’s most iconic wine growing benches, the Golden Mile and the Black Sage Road.
This year’s event was 3km longer than the one held earlier this year (delayed from 2021 because of COVID-19 restrictions) and that extra length combined with a scorching afternoon sun in the cloudless sky saw a slower finish for many contestants.
At one of the 19 winery stations amongst the final three or four, the winery staff told the Times Chronicle that they had only seen fewer than 100 participants pass through at about 11:30 a.m. which was far less than other years.
Indeed the bus transportation to Penticton had to be hastily rearranged to enable one more bus due to the later finish by so many participants.
Rebel Luv provided the party atmosphere at the Oliver Community Park with their always popular performance and food and more wine flowed as participants gradually crossed the finish line sore and weary but with smiles aplenty.
Organized by the Oliver Osoyoos Wine Association (OOWA), the event is made possible by a legion of volunteers.
Half Corked Marathon 2022 Photos
Primavera Dinner 2022 Photos
