2,400 people run for wine during Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon in Solvang

SOLVANG, Calif. - Nearly 2,400 people laced up their running shoes for a 13.1-mile race and wine tasting on Saturday.

The 14th annual Santa Barbara Wine Country Half Marathon took off from Solvang at 7 a.m.

Runners got to jog through vineyards in the town of Los Olivos and make their way up Corkscrew Hill.

After crossing the finish line on Copenhagen Drive, participants were invited to cool off by sipping and savoring wines from 20 different wineries at the post-race Wine & Music Festival in Solvang Park.

This race weekend kicked off on Friday with a free fitness expo in downtown Solvang.

The 14th annual half-marathon was rescheduled three times during the pandemic before finally taking place on Saturday.

“These past 18 months have certainly been challenging for everyone and we’re thrilled to be welcoming runners back to the start line and cheering them on in-person,” said event director Natalia Mendez. “Our goal is to try and make it as close to a normal experience as possible. To be out there running again is going to be very cool, our participants have been saying on social media that just getting back to training was fun and motivating.”

The runners who participated in this sold-out event traveled from 36 states and Washington, D.C. Seven athletes came all the way from Canada.

For more information, follow @SBwinehalf on Facebook and Instagram.