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Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon
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4 reviews for Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon
I just realized that I hadn't yet reviewed this event. I ran the 5-9-09 Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon. It was a beautiful, hilly and challenging course. This was my first time visiting the beautiful Santa Barbara wine country. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed running through the rolling hills and vineyards--very zen! (or maybe it was the pure exhaustion from the hills??). Here are the little touches that showed the organizers cared about hosting a quality event:
*the hand washing stations at the porta-potties;
*the names of the racers on the bibs;
*the t-shirt was a quality cotton that I will actually wear;
*at the finish a nice volunteer actually untied my shoe and collected my timing chip for me so I didn't have to do it in my fatigued state; AND,
*they had surprise entertainment -- Carey Ott -- a fabulous singer/songwriter from Nashville (we even purchased his CD on site).
Yes, there were a few glitches. But there was a little matter of HUGE forest fire in neighboring Santa Barbara for this year's event that had pulled away volunteers. The tasting in the park was a great way to try the local wines. I was very appreciative of the wineries (and Firestone Brewery) which participated. We were careful to remember their names for future purchases.
This was the third Half Marathon I've dragged my husband to since February. Prior to this event, he was threatening to boycott all future races. This Half Marathon single-handedly changed his mind--it was the first race where he actually had a good time. To the Event Organizers: Thank you!
This was my first half marathon after recovering from a sprained ankle last year. This was the third edition of the race, which is held on the Saturday before Mother's Day. Starting at Santa Ynez, the course winds through the myriad vineyards and fields that dot the countryside before ending in Solvang. The course is relatively flat for the most part except for two hill climbs. The first major climb is around mile 7 and it climbs nearly 800ft in 3/4 mile. It is a pretty tough climb and unless you train for it, pretty much difficult to run it all up at once. The descent is pretty gradual and helps in recovering from the climb. The other climb isn't really much but it happens at the last mile. At this point you are quite exhausted and not really looking forward to another climb, which basically breaks your will to run! There are two medium rolling hills in this stretch and if you stick to running then they shouldn't pose a problem. The course is pretty well marked with mile indicators and hydration stations are present every two miles. Portable potty's are also provided along the course for emergencies. The weather at the time of the year is also very conducive to running with highs around 65F. The 7am early start of the race also helps to run in a much cooler weather before the sun bears down in its blazing glory. I ran my race without much hassle in 2:07 well within my 10 min/mile target. Given the wonderful experience I had this year, I will definitely be running this race next year if my schedule allows me to.
Minus one star for the not so well organized T-shirt distribution and bag claim area. It was not well marked and too close to each other confusing most people. After running that long, you don't need to deal with this choas.
The 2009 event was my first half marathon ever, and I am hooked. The route starting in Santa Ynez through Los Olivos to Solvang is a pastoral, scenic beauty through farmland and vineyards. At what other event would you have community folk alongside horses, alpacas, and ostriches cheering you on through 13.1 miles? Plus, a wine "festival" waits for you at the finish line, where you can get wasted off of 2 sips of Merlot, or 4 sips if you chase with a flavored electrolyte beverage.
Since this was only the event's third year and I am a running novice, I was probably more forgiving of the event's faux pas. However, some things that even I noticed were:
-The pre-race expo was a piece of crap. I don't know much about marathons, but I have enough sense to recognize there is not much a demand for chaffing, polyester, rainbow sequined sports bras. The goody bag was a landfill-filler of fliers. Yet, some of my friends had all 4 safety pins for their bib missing. Nothing much of interest in there, except the food fuel bars and gels which were awesome.
-On the morning of, the shuttles that the website promised from Buellton to the start site never showed up. Luckily we hitched a ride for the 6.5 mile trip.
-There were no medical aid stations set up anywhere along the course. In addition to running at your own risk, there was also poop at your own risk. Apparently (according to friend's reports) the port-a-potties, at least before the 6 mi mark were atrocious. The lines for them certainly were.
-T-shirts were given out after the race, and there was a huge line of everyone trying to get one afterwards. Same goes with the hordes trying to get their promised wine glasses after the race. Being unable to delay our gratification, my party left and came back 2 hours later. The lines were gone, but so was most of the wine, boo hoo.
Despite the logistical snafus, the locale of Solvang speaks for the event. For the chance to run through the Santa Ynez valley alone, I would highly recommend this beautiful, albeit ill-managed half marathon.
When you participate in this marathon - you will never step foot in Santa Barbara. It really should be called the Santa Ynez/Solvang half marathon.
Registration: A line of people were waiting and a man was yelling out at everyone to make sure they had their bib #'s written down, as he pointed to a table. No need for me to do that, I had my printed copy of my e-mailed registration confirmation with bib #'s. We get up to the front of the line, hand the lady our bib #'s and she proceeds to pull out a bib with "Susan" on it and can't find the other one.
She looks at me. As if I'm supposed to know what the problem is. Her: "Did you look up your name on the table?" Me: "No - these are the numbers we were assigned." Her: "You have to look at the table."
For some reason - unknown to me - they had moved one number up in sequence. Alllright - so I got the new #s & we got back into the line. This time, we were handed the correct bibs, timing chips, a bag with "information" in it & our t-shirts.
We got back to our hotel & started to dig around inside the bag of "information". Nothing but advertisements. *Mmmm-kay.* Luckily, being the paranoid preparer I am - I had printed out what we needed @ home. Instructions were to park in Solvang & catch comp. "shuttles" to the start line - between 5:15 and 6:30 a.m. Race to start at 7:00.
We arrived in Solvang @ 5:40. A huge line of people wrapped down Mission Dr. School buses would appear & the line would barely move. I heard someone behind me say, "There's another line - in the opposite direction." Ahhh. Interesting. Time kept moving & the line kept growing. At 6:50 a frantic volunteer came running down the line saying, "we don't know what happened - we're so sorry - the race will not be starting at 7:00 ." The best part was when the buses started stopping at the end of the line, taking people who had just arrived. : /
We finally got on a bus. We were nearly denied as there was only one seat left - two guys saw our dilemma, squished together & invited me to saddle up. We were dropped off right at 7:00 & started to stretch. I saw a look of panic on my husband's face as he pushed past me. I said, "What?" He replied, "Those chicks are taking a piss down there! I don't want to see that." Being the curious oyster that I am - I leaned over and sure enough saw bare asses popping squats. *giggles* Apparently, the porta-potty lines were too long.
Thinking we had more time than we did, I quickly ingested half of a granola bar. That would later come back to haunt me.
Being one of the last one's dropped off put us way in the back of the pack. We missed all of the start line hoopla. The gun went off and we started weaving our way around the slow pacers. The first 6 miles of the course are very mild. Beautiful scenery. There were cones here and there - it seemed that they wanted us to stay to one side of them but no one really knew and people were pretty much running where they wanted to. My heart went out to the locals trying to pull out of their driveway - to no avail.
There were no signs to let you know how far you'd run, no people dressed up with bull horns, only three timing strips - start line, relay spot at 6 miles and the finish line. If they ran the relay, whoever got the second leg of this course got a raw deal. About a half mile past the relay point, I saw some vineyards up ahead & the mass of runners were turning left. I said softly, "I foresee a hill".
Holy monkey. That was the understatement of the day. I realized I was losing my husband. I kept reeling back towards him & around mile 9 he said, "Just go - I can't keep your pace." So I did. I went. I was hoping to finish a little under 2 hours.
At mile 11 there was a bit of a break from the hills. Everyone around me seemed relieved. Then the monster appeared in front of us. I heard at least three audible, "Fuuuhhh-ick"s.
A course with the biggest monster of a hill at mile 11.5? Are they nuts? Half way up I suddenly felt like I was going to vomit. I slowed to a walk and tried to keep that granola bar safely in my stomach. I saw multiple people stretching or hunched over on the side of the hill.
I finally made it to the top & a man screamed, "You're almost there and that was the last hill."
I tried to turn it up at the end but my exhaustion set in. I crossed a few minutes over 2 hours. O'well. Between my injured rib & lack of proper hill training, I'm pretty happy.
I was handed a medal & a tent full of food appeared. Never has a red vine tasted so good. Tons of food - they really went all out. Our engraved wine glasses granted us access to the wine tasting tent. There was a rockabilly band pumping out tunes. Fun. It was pretty chaotic and slightly rudimentary but it turned out to be an incredibly fun marathon. I'm looking forward to doing it again.
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