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California > Healdsburg Wine Country Half Marathon
Healdsburg, CA • Saturday, October 26, 2013 • Course Map
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Set for its 4th annual running on the last weekend of October 2013 -- and timed to coincide with Halloween just a few days later -- the Healdsburg Wine Country Half Marathon offers runners a chance to run through the beautifully picturesque fields, hills and valleys of the Northern California wine growing region at what is expected to be a perfect time of year, weather-wise.
One of four races staged throughout the year by running event organizer Destination Races in the California wine country, the race is limited to 2,700 entrants, and saw more than 2,100 runners cross the finish line at its 2012 running. After running from Francis Ford Coppola's Rosso & Bianco Winery to Lake Sonoma in past years, the course was redesigned last year for a point-to-point run from Geyserville to Healdsburg.
From the starting line on the small town's main street of Geyserville Avenue, the course heads first north and then west, turning onto Canyon Road and taking runners into the Dry Creek Valley. A couple of miles along Canyon Road lead to Yoakim Bridge Road, and then a right turn to head south on West Dry Creek Road, which runners will follow for the next 4 1/2 miles.
The hilliest stretch of the race occurs in the first couple of miles; after the steep climb between miles 1 and 2, the race begins a long and very gradual downhill for most of the remainder of the race, punctuated by numerous gentle, rolling hills throughout the course. The rest of the course is framed by the mountains on the right and the flat vineyards that stretch out for miles on the left, as runners make their way past more than a dozen wineries through Dry Creek on the way to Healdsburg.
The race is something of a counterpart to the Marathon du Medoc that is run through the Bordeaux region of France each fall, and usually draws a field of 2,000 runners or more, many of whom will be in costume, thanks to the event's running over the weekend before Halloween.
The event is open to runners, joggers and walkers, as long they can complete the 13.1 miles of the half marathon within the time limit of three hours and thirty minutes allowed for the official event. Eight aid and water stations will be distributed throughout the course, which is made up entirely of paved surfaces, along country roads through the wine country region.
Race Weather & Climate
Located in the valley near the Sonoma County Mountains of Northern California, about 70 miles north of San Francisco, Healdsburg tends to experience the kind of weather this region is known for -- warm (often hot), dry summers with little rain and milder and much wetter conditions in the fall and winter.
In October, temperatures average between 49°F and 76°F, while rainfall totals average about 2.1 inches for the month. On the day of the race (Oct. 26), the average low is 47°F and the average high is 73°F.
Course Map
View the race route map for the Healdsburg Wine Country Half Marathon
Starting Time
7:30 AM
Fees
$105 for the half marathon, if registered by April 30, 2013 (if not sold out before)
$115 between May 1 - July 31 (if not sold out)
$125 after July 31, until the race sells out
Registration
To reserve your spot in the mid-fall 2013 running of the Healdsburg Wine Country Half Marathon, register online at Active.com.
Official Race Website
destinationraces.com
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