Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon

The Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon is not just a running race, it’s a destination lifestyle experience. Destination Races produces the Wine Country Half Marathon series in renowned wine regions across North America. Loudoun County plays host to this popular event located in and around historic Leesburg, VA, one hour west of Washington DC. This is the only event in the series held in the eastern US.The race starts and finishes at bucolic Doukenie Winery, the perfect venue for hosting the post-race Wine & Music Festival, Presented by Visit Loudoun. This scenic, tree-laden course runs north of the winery on historic byways, passing vineyards, farms, ranches and estates along the way. Come experience the race of a lifetime as we welcome you to Virginia and DC’s Wine Country!

The Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon is not just a running race, it’s a destination lifestyle experience. Destination Races produces the Wine Country Half Marathon series in renowned wine regions across North America. Loudoun County plays host to this popular event located in and around historic Leesburg, VA, one hour west of Washington DC. This is the only event in the series held in the eastern US.The race starts and finishes at bucolic Doukenie Winery, the perfect venue for hosting the post-race Wine & Music Festival, Presented by Visit Loudoun. This scenic, tree-laden course runs north of the winery on historic byways, passing vineyards, farms, ranches and estates along the way. Come experience the race of a lifetime as we welcome you to Virginia and DC’s Wine Country!

The course for the race follows a meandering, loop-shaped point-to-point route that starts at Doukenie Winery, located a couple of miles east of the village of Mechanicsville off Mountain Road.From this 500-acre winery and farm nestled at the base of Short Hill Mountain along the Virginia-West Virginia border, runners head out onto Mountain Road (State Route 690) and head north, along a gradual uphill slope for the first couple of miles.Rolling hills along paved country roads greet runners as they head out along the course’s first few miles, with barns, horses and long farm fencing along the sides of the roads as they pass through the miles in the early going.Runners keep heading north along Mountain Road for the first five and a half miles of the race until they reach the right turn onto Axline Road, which also coincides with a welcome downhill just after passing the mile 5 marker.Farm fields, houses and trees dot the landscape as runners keep heading southeast along Axline toward the halfway point of the race, past Hiddencroft Vineyards on the way to the next right turn, this time onto Picnic Woods Road.There’s an uphill stretch as runners make their way through miles 6 and 7, and as they head south along Picnic Woods, the route features rolling hills as it passes by farm fields and through tree-lined stretches and ponds on the way to Morrisonville Road.The last three miles of the race take runners west along Morrisonville Road — where they’ll run past the horse farms at at Hunt Valley Equestrian Center — and then back to Mountain Road, where they turn left and head south along the stretch they ran earlier in the race.After heading down Mountain Road, runners then turn off the highway for the final quarter-mile stretch into Dounkenie Winery, where runners will get the chance to sample the varietals and enjoy the finish line festivities.

The Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon starts and finishes at Doukenie Winery, offering a scenic 13.1 mile course showcasing Virginia’s historic byways and beautiful countryside. The course passes vineyards, farms, ranches and estates along the way.Additionally it is a course that takes runners through the scenic, green rolling hills and horse country of Virginia’s Loudoun County, also known as the “D.C. Wine Country” thanks to its more than 20 vineyards and wineries, the Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon runs as spring is giving way here to summer.

A gear check service is provided near the start area for runners to store their warm-ups in the bag provided by race staff. In large letters and numbers, write your bib number and last name on the bag, tie it closed, and hand to the volunteers at the appropriate section, usually assigned by bib numbers. The bag will be stored until pickup after the race finish. All gear check bags need to be retrieved by 12:00 noon on race day. Any items left at the event will be donated to charity.

Seven aid stations will be placed on-course between the start and finish areas. Various non-profits, school teams and other groups host these stations. They are placed on-course at key locations and intervals approximately 1.5 miles apart.

The race is chip timed to provide accurate and fair results for runners. Runners will receive a chip and gun time in the results. Top 3 overall finishers are based on gun time, all other finisher results use chip time results. The timing chips are disposable and do not need to be returned.

To enter the half marathon you must be able to finish the course in 3 hours and 30 minutes and keep a 16:00/mile pace or better. Casual walkers are not permitted in the half marathon due to this time limit. If you cannot keep the required pace on course, you will not be guaranteed course supervision by law enforcement and volunteers. Transportation to the finish area for non-finishers without medical problems will be provided via the SAG vehicle.

Water will be offered at each aid station and GU Hydration Drink (Lemon lime flavor) will be provided at aid stations 2, 4, 6, and 7. GU Energy Gels (Chocolate, Vanilla Bean, and Salted Watermelon flavors) will be distributed at Aid Station #5. Please discard wrappers in trash receptacles at aid stations, or put them in your pocket, not alongside the road.