Regular readers of the blog know that I started running last year and I’ve really come to enjoy it (OK, most of the time). When I heard about Terroir Run, which is a run around the wineries of Prince Edward County, I was intrigued. Turns out it’s a little longer than I’m comfortable running just yet and I’ve already signed up for the Toronto Women’s Run that day, but it’s become a goal for next year. What could be better than combining two of my passions?
Are you a runner and wine lover? Than you definitely want to add Terroir Run to your schedule for Sunday, May 26th, 2013. Hurry, though, as the run can only accommodate 100 people.
Interested in learning more? You can visit the Terroir Run website here and check out my Q&A with co-founder Rebecca LeHeup below.
How did you decide the route for this event?
Andrew Mackenzie and I were sitting on our patio in April of 2011 enjoying a
glass of wine and a gorgeous sunset. We decided to register for the
Ottawa half marathon (we like to set running goals) and when we went
online it was sold out! With pen in hand we then planned to create our
own run to take place on the last weekend of May. We decided it would be
a blast to pair our love of running with our other passion – wine and
food – and so the Terroir Run was born. We chose the Closson Road route
because its lined with vineyards, not a high traffic route and we could
end at Norm Hardie’s winery where we could celebrate with a local lunch!
How long is the run?
11 glorious kilometres of flat paved and gravel country roads.
How many people do you expect?
We max out our run at 100 people. We want to keep the experience intimate.
What wineries are participating and what can runners expect from them?
The nine wineries we run past and Karlo Estates Winery all
participate by contributing wine for the finish line lunch our runners
enjoy. We also provide all of our runners with a passport to visit all
participating wineries post run for complimentary tastings. A full list
of participating wineries are on http://www.terroirrun.com
Is the event just for runners or do you include those who want to walk?
We welcome all wine and outdoor lovers. This is not a race. We
have many folks who jog or take a brisk walk. With it only being 11km it
can be run in 30+ minutes or walked in under 2 hours
Is it a relatively flat course?
Yes – there are several low grades but its primarily flat. The
last half of the run doesn’t have a ton of shade so we encourage runners
to wear a hat. There are water stations at Closson Chase Vineyards, The
Grange of Prince Edward Estates Winery and Karlo Estates hosts a water
station at the junction of Benway & Greer Road.
Do you give out medals?
No – the first runner across the finish line gets registration the
following year for free and the top three finishers get a bottle of PEC
wine. All runners receive a run kit with a Me To We organic cotton
t-shirt, wineries passport, Taste of Ontario granola bar and lunch that
includes spring salad, wood fired pizza and wines, beer & cider all
from PEC.
And, finally, why would you suggest people come out for this race?
Because its a blast! Every wine should have great legs and great body – all of our runners do too!
Krista, we will be making up some WineAlign running shirts for the race. Would you like one?
Oooh – would love one of those. Would it be possible even though I'm not running this year? No worries if not – I'm planning to run it next year so I can wait if needed. 🙂