Athletic Events

 The Half Marathon (13.1 miles) will be held in Windsor May 22. This family-oriented fitness activity will also feature 10K (6.2 miles) and 5K (3.1 miles) distance running events, live music, a pancake brunch and will coincide with the Farmers Market hours held on the Town Green.

“I have a passion for fitness as well as triathlons, but I also wanted to bring the concept of a Half Marathon to Sonoma County,” said Brad Illing, Event Director.

The Half Marathon has become a very popular distance within the reach of many local residents. My dream became reality in 2008 when we organized the first Wine Country Half Marathon in Healdsburg. Now, three years later, we are expanding the program to include similar races in Windsor.”

The field is expected to include up to 1,000 runners – with the prospects of increasing to more than 2,000 in 2011. The Half Marathon is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. on the Green, followed by the 10K and 5K races at 8:00 a.m.

“We are working with the Windsor Unified School District to raise funds for the after school sports program. The goal is to get kids off the couch and away from video games and into physical exercise,” Illing said.

Brad Illing has personally raced in over 100 triathlons, including five Ironman competitions, and has also completed dozens of marathons, mountain bike races, adventure races and off-road events. With over 20 years of race experience, Brad brings a dual perspective as event director and participant.

For more information, go to www.windsorgreenhalfmarathon.com or www.eventswithsole.com.

 

The Vineman Ironman Triathlon comes to the greater Windsor area July 17th. The Triathlon consists of a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike race and a 13.1 mile run through the beautiful Sonoma County wine country. It takes participants on a 70.3 miles tour past hundreds of vineyards and dozens of wineries in four unique grape growing regions, including the Russian River, Dry Creek, Alexander Valley and Chalk Hill appelations. More than 20,000 athletes from around the world have taken part in this triathlon since its inception.

The swimming course of the tri-part race starts at 6:00 a.m. at Johnson’s Beach in Guerneville on the serenely flowing Russian River sheltered by tall stands of Coastal Redwood trees. The bicycle portion also begins at Johnson’s Beach and finishes at Windsor High School.

The rolling hills are technically demanding and involve 1,600 ft of climbing, including a 385-foot climb on Chalk Hill. The run starts and ends at Windsor High School and takes runners through the La Crema Winery on an out and back course.

The Windsor Chamber of Commerce will staff visitor information booths at the Town Green and at Windsor High School which serves as a registration center for the Triathlon.  The Chamber will provide tour guides on the trolley or shuttle buses to give visitors a brief history of the town and describe local attractions, restaurants and other points of interest.  For information and race route maps, go to www.vineman.com or contact the Windsor Chamber of Commerce by calling 707-838-7285.

 

The Full Vineman Triathlon follows the Ironman triathlon a few weeks later on July 30th. 2011 marks the 22nd Annual Full Vineman Triathlon, making it the oldest independant Ironman distance triathlon held in the continental United States. The experience which Vineman athletes have will be unmatched, as they swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles through beautiful Sonoma County's wine country.

In 1990 the Vineman was designed to be “the people’s ironman distance event” with an emphasis on making the average athlete’s experience of completing the classic distance the most enjoyable and personalized as possible. While the sport of triathlon has changed drastically over the past decade and a half, the soul of the Vineman remains the same.

Whether you are an athlete hoping to complete your first ironman distance race, you’ve been closed out of the Ironman franchise events, or you just want to be part of a great ironman distance triathlon, the Vineman is for you. With beautiful wine country scenery, typically cool mornings and warm days, and a relatively small field of athletes that doesn’t make you feel like part of a “cattle call”, you’ll find the Vineman to be an “athlete friendly” race. For 21 years the Vineman has been a favorite of many athletes because of the individual attention they receive at the event. Whatever your reason or motivation for competing, the Full Vineman and its friendly staff of more than 800 volunteers look forward to making your experience a great one. 

For information and race route maps, go to www.vineman.com/triathlon/course_race02.htm or contact the Windsor Chamber by calling 707-838-7285.