Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon to Showcase New Independence location in 2022 — Sport Oregon Voices

Sport Oregon Voices: Return of Sport Oregon’s signature in-person half marathon to take place on Sept. 4, 2022

In terms of an idyllic location that best reflects the spirit of Sport Oregon’s Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon, it’s difficult to imagine a more suitable host community than Independence, Ore.

In anticipation of the return of the organization’s in-person event in 2022 – following a virtual event this past year – Sport Oregon recently announced the exciting move to Independence, a rural community of roughly 10,000 residents just to the south of Salem. As is tradition, next year’s event will be held over Labor Day weekend, with the 2022 Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon taking place on Sunday, Sept. 4.

Considering its quintessential rural experience that leaves you feeling like you’re kind of in the middle of nowhere, yet in the middle of everything, it didn’t take long for Independence and its surrounding appeal to win over event organizers.

“The thing that really won us over about the area was the charm,” said Hannah Roxas, an event manager for Sport Oregon. “It’s everything the Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon has been trying to encapsulate, with the unique beauty that is the Oregon wine country.”

The event, itself, will feature a lot of the familiar features from past races, including a 5K that Sport Oregon introduced in recent years to offer a more varied challenge to participants of all levels. It will feature a relatively flat course that is slated to begin on Main Street in downtown Independence before winding through the varied, lush agricultural landscape of the surrounding rural areas that features upwards of 170 specialty crops.

“It’s a great, scenic course that’s welcoming to all runners,” said Roxas. “Runners will get to experience a bit of the downtown area and its vibe, then the actual wine country.”

The event also includes a wine festival, where participants, visitors and residents alike are invited to raise a glass, sample some of the best pinot noir or pinot gris around, and toast the return of the popular in-person event.

Nestled along the west bank of the Willamette River, Independence is a classic small rural town in the midst of a revitalization that has produced a great deal of positive growth in recent years, particularly surrounding the downtown area, its businesses, public amenities and private development.

Yet, according to the city’s economic development director, Shawn Irvine, it’s a community that’s “stayed grounded within itself,” as a place where there’s a very good chance when you stop into a store on Main Street you’ll be talking directly to the owner, or at least a close relative. It’s a place where you know your neighbors, wave as you pass by or strike up a conversation with the person next to you at the local restaurant or bar.

It’s no surprise, then, that this friendly community has enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to host the Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon, and the positive impact that it offers.

“Our downtown is entirely filled with locally owned, mom-and-pop businesses,” Irvine said. “In that regard, when you get an event like Sport Oregon is bringing, where you’re bringing upwards of 1,500 event participants, that’s a lot of dollars coming into the community. You think about the scales of these businesses, and that really moves the needle.”

For Irvine, opportunities like the Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon are a perfect fit for the town and its aspirations, and it is an ideal opportunity to showcase its many amenities and appeals. It’s also emblematic of what Sport Oregon strives for in its efforts to drive economic impact and shine a light on all that the state’s varied communities have to offer. With roughly half of the event’s participants annually coming from out of state, the event produces substantial economic benefit throughout the region and promotes innovative partnerships that benefit local charities and inspires volunteer efforts that further add to the fully immersive local experience.

“We have a lot of time and money invested in our downtown, and particularly the riverfront, trail systems and the park systems, with a belief that public recreation is great for local residents, and also helps bring in visitors,” he said. “Bringing events like the Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon is another great way to get people coming into town and experiencing the area. As we’re a little off the beaten path, we use these kind of events to really showcase the area and let people see what’s out here. And hopefully a lot of them come back on their own time afterwards.”

And considering the event is held over a holiday weekend, the Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon is likely just the beginning of a more extensive stay in the region for many participants and their families. The broader region offers a host of outdoor activities, craft breweries, a vibrant culinary scene and further escapes to the many scenic waterways and the Oregon Coast.

So, as Sport Oregon looks forward to the return of its in-person race in 2022, it also looks ahead to a long future for the event that includes a new partnership with Independence and its quaint, picturesque charm.

If You’re Going
Registration for the 2022 Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon is now open, with prices increasing on January 1. For more information and to secure your place in next year’s event, click here.