Paso Robles Half Marathon

(Half #9, 2015)
Wine country…
Peaceful. Serene. Refreshingly scenic. Inescapably beautiful. Transcendent… While running along fields upon ever-​growing fields, whether canopied with vineyards or blanketed with citrus orchards, you can’t help but take your time, slow it down and soak it up, breathe deeply… The mustard flowers perched upon the roadside; an occasional, speckled cow minding more its breakfast than your intensions; and the horizon, blue and infinite… These runs require soul… yours. Enough music surrounding you, your earbuds will be fine this time left at home.
Over 400 enthusiastic runners rallied in beautiful Paso Robles for its 12^th Annual Half Marathon. They arrived not only from all over California, but from Nevada and Tennessee, Oregon and Colorado, Minnesota and Hawaii. They came from Arizona and Ohio and Utah and Washington, from Kansas and Virgina and Texas and Nebraska. Laced-​up and eager, runners – ones also harboring deep appreciations for great-​tasting California wines, I’m sure – embraced this event as not simply another run, but a vacation. Certainly, the fun wasn’t ending upon the finish line. If you’ve ever been wine tasting around Paso, you’ll understand. If you haven’t, go.
Besides the very cool medal – seriously, I cannot gather up enough! – wine glasses commemorating everyone’s awesome achievements were awarded to all. Looks like, along with my medals, I’ll be starting another collection!
Great job, Paso! See you again next year!