Kiki McFann and David Watkins made their way up the last hill past the cottages at the Cape Fear Vineyard & Winery in Elizabethtown, North Carolina, Saturday morning for the Cape Fear Haunted Wine Run 5K. Both runners ran together in the 30-39 year old age group. McFann finished with a time of 24:19.62 and finished in the top ten for all female runners. Watkins finished with a time of 24:46.29 and finished 8th in his age group.
HAUNTED VINEYARD
University of Wilmington students, Jack Lotz, Ryan Cuppernull, Emma Silberman, Callie Murphy and Fefi Peralta who were garbed in only pumpkin T-shirts and shorts were seen shivering at the start of the race, but there were good memories made and plenty of stories to tell their kids one day.
Galileo Flores does some stretching exercises in the parking lot of the Cape Fear Vineyard & Winery before the chilly 9 a.m. horn sounded for the launch of the runners.
There were helpers at the start and at the finish - with that all-important medal being awarded by the mysterious bearded Cycle jockey along with souvenir race T-shirts.
Students came from UW-Wilmington to run at the Cape Fear Haunted Wine Run Oct. 25.
ELIZABETHTOWN – On a cold and haunting morning in late October, the Cape Fear Haunted 5K brought many runners from across the state to participate in a race that has been traditionally held around Thanksgiving and named The Turkey Trot 5K.
With a name change and a few degrees warmer; not much, but people started arriving to the Cape Fear Vineyard & Winery to set up while the sun was still waiting in the wings.
There were over 500 runners in Elizabethtown Saturday morning for the Cape Fear Haunted Wine Run 5K and the group was so big that they had to run the race in two separate groups. There was a 9 a.m. and a 10:30 a.m. run with all the chip times entered into the overall race totals.
With a “Witch Way To The Wine” theme, local runners as well as runners, roggers and walkers from all over the nation gathered on a very frigid morning to run through the Cape Fear Vineyards. The Halloween week kicked off at Cape Fear Vineyard & Winery with costumes, frivolity and panache.
Many runners ran in Halloween costumes that include pumpkins, ballerinas, butterflies, Forest Gump and even Santa Claus made an appearance. Runners also had the choice to run with their dog. Some runners put on extra layers of clothing at the start and made the reveal as to the costume they wore after the race was over and the wine was poured by the Cape Fear Vineyard & Wine staff.
“We’d be running through snow if there was any precip,” said one runner at the starting 9 a.m. starting line.
There were only few wispy clouds in the air and cool temperatures were friendly to the morning’s runners. The first group perhaps had some faster times as the cooler temperatures helped push the runners who mixed their adrenaline with the weather conditions.
“The air was cool,” said third-place finisher Ryan Miller who finished with a time of 19:43.97. “I think that because of that, it was a fast race.”
University of Wilmington students, Jack Lotz, Ryan Cuppernull, Emma Silberman, Callie Murphy and Fefi Peralta who were garbed in only pumpkin T-shirts and shorts were seen shivering at the start of the race, but there were good memories made and plenty of stories to tell their kids one day.
The top three male finishers were: Paul Stephens – 18:09.42, Bryan Rosas – 19:08.76, Ryan Miller – 19:43.97. The top three female finishers were: Julia Dezarn-Jobber – 20:12.76, Ingrid Merk-Rocha – 23:07.02, Rachel Leonard – 23:12.19
Complete results can be seen at: https://runsignup.com/Race/Results/Simple/134180#resultSetId-600915;perpage:100
Our picture page (page 11) features more pictures of the Cape Fear Haunted Wine Run 5K.