The Half Corked Marathon event is a finalist in the Canadian Tourism Awards. The hugely popular race showcases the best of the best and features some outstanding costumes. Photo by Keith Lacey
Oliver’s famed Half Corked Marathon just got more famous.
The annual event hosted by the Oliver Osoyoos Winery Association (OOWA) has been shortlisted as a finalist in the Canadian Tourism Awards.
“My initial reaction was shock,” said OOWA executive director Tony Munday, who pointed out their event is going up against FIFA World Cup Canada 2016 and Winnipeg’s long-running Folklorama.
Munday said the Half Corked Marathon has a huge following but in a small way, compared to the Canadian Soccer Association and Winnipeg’s cultural beast.
“Just to be a finalist with the caliber of these two events (is amazing).”
Munday said they take great pride in the Half Corked Marathon, their flagship event of the year and one of the hottest tickets in the country.
“The race not only showcases our incredibly beautiful and diverse region but also shows what can be achieved when tourism and wine industries collaborate to create an event that’s incredibly unique and special.”
Munday said they were chosen as a finalist because the association is doing exactly what the Canadian Tourism Awards are all about – showcasing the best of the best.
“We’re not just having a great event, we’re having participants (and spectators) acting as tourists.”
Munday noted their event is “no longer the day of, it’s the week before and the week after.”
But the tourism guru is quick to credit the people who really make the event happen – the 100-plus volunteers. He said the organizing committee is a nucleus of eight people who pull it off, but it’s the volunteers who are the real stars of the show.
The Canadian Tourism Awards recognize people, places, organizations and events that have gone above and beyond to offer a superior tourism experience to travellers in Canada.
The award winners will be announced on November 30.
The Half Corked Marathon weaves racers through the beautiful vineyards of Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country, sampling wines and fine food along the route.
Inspired by the legendary Marathon du Medoc in Bordeaux, France, the Half Corked Marathon pays homage to one of Canada’s most decorated wine regions; a celebration of the Golden Mile and Black Sage Road benches connecting the communities of Oliver and Osoyoos.
