Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon, 10K & 5K

Saturday, May 20, 2023 • Lovettsville, VA • Course Map

With 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.

The course for the race follows a meandering, loop-shaped point-to-point route that starts at Creek’s Edge Winery. 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.

Runners considering the race are encouraged to sign up early for the event, as it will be limited to 3,000 runners. The time limit for the race is 3 hours, 30 minutes, which works out to a pace of about 16 minutes per mile.

Fields and vines in Virginia's Loudon County. (Photo by rlimousinephoto/flickr)

Fields and vines in Virginia’s Loudon County. (Photo by rlimousinephoto/flickr)

Race Weather & Climate

Located in northern Virginia, roughly 50 miles northwest of Washington, D.C., Lovettsville typically experiences mild to moderately warm weather in mid-May, with temperatures ranging from the low 50s to the low 70s.

  • May 20 average low temp: 53ºF
  • May 20 average high temp: 73ºF

Past Results

Course Map

See the race route map for the Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon here.

Starting Time

  • 7:00 AM – half marathon
  • 7:20 AM – 10K, 5K

Fees

  • $100 and up – half marathon
  • $55 and up – 10K
  • $45 and up – 5K

Registration

To reserve your spot in the 2023 running of the Virginia Wine Country Half Marathon, 10K or 5K race, register online at the event website here.

Official Race Website

virginiawinecountryhalf.com

Comments

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