The first wave of racers take off from Hester Creek winery at the Half Corked marathon on May 24.
Erin Christie photo
Wine may not be the typical liquid of choice for thirsty marathon runners, but the Oliver Osoyoos Winery Association (OOWA) takes a different approach with the Half Corked Marathon.
Participants are encouraged to eat and drink their way across the Golden Mile/Black Sage Bench as they run, jog, walk, or crawl the picturesque 18.5 kilometre route.
In a mere four years the marathon has become one of the toughest tickets to get in the province.
They went from 250 participants in their first year, to a whopping 850 this year – you actually have to enter a lottery to get tickets and over 2,000 people entered.
Now that I’ve been to it, I can certainly tell you why people get so into it. It really is as fun as it sounds.
It starts with registration on Thursday. First you sign a waiver and get your number, which is more for posterity, as this is not a competitive race.
Then you get your “swag bag” which contains a bottle of “Half-Corked” wine, an ambitious creation that combines wines from all 31 participating wineries. I haven’t opened my bottle yet but I heard it wasn’t bad.
The fun continues with the Primavera dinner on Friday, where participants can “warm up” for Saturday with some local wines and pasta.
Then comes the big day. And it starts at 7:55 am. That’s when the first shuttle leaves the Oliver Community Centre to take everyone out to Hester Creek winery, where the starting line is located.
That’s when the mayhem begins. Participants, many of whom are in full costumes, some practical for the weather and distance, like Marji Basso’s MC Hammer costume, and some less practical but highly entertaining, like the group that came dressed as a space shuttle.
Once everyone makes it to the finish line at the Oliver Community Centre, they are treated to lunch, more wine and entertainment. This year that included a street artist, vendors and a performance by “Wined it Up” – which seemed like an appropriate choice.
The whole weekend wraps up with a pancake breakfast at Rustico winery.
I didn’t witness any major injuries, although I expected to see some. I saw one girl walking in heels! HEELS!
I can barely get through a day in heels let alone walk 18.5 kilometres in them!
I have to say what a great job the OOWA did pulling this whole thing off.
Not only is it a great day, it’s first and foremost a celebration of this gorgeous place that we call home. It’s an event that helps boost Oliver as a culinary destination, as well as a wine destination.
And for those of us who got to take part, those who live here year-round, it is a reminder of just how lucky we are to live here.
Cheers!
To see more photos and video coverage of this event visit our Facebook page.
Erin Christie
Oliver Chronicle
