PORTLAND, ME – October 14, 2009 – Over 200 people will gather on the Maine State Pier on Saturday morning to take part in The Wine Flight 5k—a different kind of running event. Like a traditional 5k, participants will still run or walk a 3.1-mile route. Unlike a traditional 5k, there will be no chip timers strapped around ankles, and no time clock ticking above the finish chute. There won’t even be a prize for the individual who comes in first.
Instead, there will be food, costumes, wine, and an atmosphere that proves being active can be really fun.
The second annual Wine Flight 5k will take place in downtown Portland on October 17th at 9:30 a.m. The race will start with a ceremonial sabrage—the opening of a champagne bottle with a sword—by Maine’s Ambassadors of Food and Drink founder Margo Mallar (instead of the usual gun). Participants will start and finish on the Maine State Pier, embarking on a 3.1-mile scenic course around the East End and along the Eastern Promenade.
Between each mile-long loop, participants will pass through “Aid Stations” stocked with sample bites and tastes from local Maine vendors and markets. Each station will mimic the course of a meal and include foods such as cheese from Pineland Farms Creamery, cookies from Two Fat Cats Bakery, and pastries from Fit to Eat.
Just past the finish line, the run/walk will conclude with a Bordeaux wine tasting celebration hosted by the Pine Street Beverage Company. Along with an “awards ceremony” consisting of prizes given to those participants wearing the best food and wine-inspired costumes.
“The whole goal of the Wine Flight is to offer a fun alternative to the usual 5k,” says Tri-Maine’s Director Will Thomas. “We started with the run component and added in the food and wine features to make the event more relaxed. Then we removed the time element to eliminate pressure and create something that allows people in the community to come out and be active, social, and engaged.”
To add to the local food and wine spirit of the event, Ms. Mallar and the Maine Ambassadors of Food and Wine led a series of Wine Flight Training Runs on Tuesday nights in the months before the 5k. Participants met in Monument Square and ran or walked a 3-mile route around town before ending at a different Portland establishment to sample food and learn about wine.
Volunteers are still needed to help with the event. To sign up, contact info@tri-maine.com.
Sponsor support for the Wine Flight 5k comes from The Maine Running Company. Mensk—a non-profit Portland organization whose mission is to inspire and support personal, local, and regional action for the development of creative and sustainable communities—is the event beneficiary.
To learn more about the Maine Ambassadors of Food and Drink, please visit www.maineambassadors.com.
For more information on the Wine Flight event, please contact Amy VanHaren or visit www.tri-maine.com/races/wineflight.
About Tri-Maine:
Tri-Maine Productions is Maine’s premier multisport event management company. Providing high quality, competitive races in dynamic New England locations, Tri-Maine serves more than 3,000 athletes, 5,000 spectators, and 800 volunteers annually. Tri-Maine partners with first-rate local and national sponsors to provide an athletic experience like no other. Fusing arts, music, environmental consciousness, health, and community together with the active lifestyle, Tri-Maine delivers specialized events that transcend the traditional. Visit www.tri-maine.com for more information.
Contact:
Amy VanHaren, Public Relations Coordinator
Tri-Maine Productions
207.221.5420 x 5
amy@tri-maine.com
www.tri-maine.com
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