You don’t have to be in tremendous shape to run the annual Half Corked Marathon, which is especially helpful for those of us in no shape at all. This year’s route was mostly flat, with 13 wine stations to replenish with red, white, rosé, bubbly, fruity, and even frozen refreshments along the way. 

For almost 20 years, the Half Corked Marathon has provided a fine excuse to visit one of B.C.’s most beautiful regions, a unique landscape of sagebrush desert, sparkling lakes, neat vineyards and orchards bursting with juicy stone fruit. Centred around the year-round lakeside resort town of Osoyoos, this is vintage wine country for anyone in search of an active culinary getaway. 

Don’t fret too much about the run: nobody is tracking your time, although if you don’t reach the finish line within the allotted three and a half hours, you can hop aboard a support bus bringing up the rear. Don’t fret too much about the distance either — the route is typically 20 to 24 kilometres long, meaning you could almost walk the whole thing. This is especially true if you take advantage of the optional bus ride to carve a few kilometres up a steep hill (which I highly encourage). As for the drinking, don’t fret about that either. The wine tastings are small, optional, and always accompanied by water hydration stations. Driving? Don’t fret. Shuttles pick up and drop off runners directly at their hotels or accommodations. Needless to say, the goal of this exceptionally well-organized event is to ensure you don’t fret about anything.

While the popular event continues to grow each year, there were thousands of applicants for the limited number of race spots. We’ll see them all at the finish line in Oliver Community Park, devouring paella and rehydrating with more wine tastings on a carpet of thick grass. But first, we have to earn it. 

An announcer counts us down, and off we go. 

Endorsed by BC Athletics, the event encourages participants to run at least five kilometres. It’s perfectly acceptable to walk much of the route — many of us do. Naturally, you’ll make encouraging friends along the way, and occasionally, there are locals camped on the side of a road, holding signs that read “Hurry up, my arms are getting tired.”