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On June 20 at 9 a.m., nearly 1,000 people will gather at Huber’s Orchard and Winery, ready to take on rolling hills through the countryside for the fourth annual wine run.
The race is a standard 5K, 3.1 miles, hosted in partnership with Wine Run 5K, an organization that puts on wine 5Ks throughout the country. The route is a loop around the Huber’s farm where participants can see blackberry bushes, strawberry fields, Christmas trees, grape vineyards, peach trees, apple trees and more, all on a paved road.
“It’s just kind of like a scenic route on a farm,” Marcella Hawk, vice president of corporate services at Huber’s Orchard and Winery said.
Wine Run 5K first approached Huber’s about hosting the race in 2023; Wine Run 5K is always looking for more venues for the event and Huber’s came recommended by other regional wineries. Huber’s had been interested in having a wine run on their property already, but they weren’t sure how to get it going. Wine Run 5K brought the organization they needed to make their vision a reality.
Since then, Huber’s has become one of Wine Run 5K’s races with the highest participant count.
There were only about 300-400 participants in the first race, but by the next year, the numbers nearly doubled, bringing the count around 800. Last year, there were over 1,000. The route has stayed the same since the first race in 2023— racers made it clear they loved how different the path was from a 5K in a city, but everything else about the race has evolved. Now, Huber’s knows what people want.
“We’ve just learned what people are looking for,” Hawk said. “Having the stores open where they can get coffee after the race, we have a breakfast truck available, we open up the farm markets. They can go get fresh fruits and vegetables or items from our bakery.”
The wine 5K offers Huber’s a chance for new customers. It offers exposure to people who have never heard of Huber’s before, but saw ads promoting the race on social media. Somone could be looking to run a 5K and stumbled upon the one at Huber’s.
“It might be their first time here,” Hawk said, “and they discover everything we have to offer.”
Huber’s is known for their winery, but they offer more than that. They started exclusively as a farm in 1843, and today in addition to their winery and tasting room, they have an ice cream shop, a family park and playground, a cafe, a spirits distillery, an orchard and more. The wine 5K gives people a reason to come experience it all.
“I talked to so many people that say, ‘We always try and come out here, and you know, life gets busy, but we see this race come up and we’re so excited to come because it gives us another excuse to get out here,’” Hawk said.
The race also offers the community a chance to give back. With Wine Run 5K, Huber’s gets to pick a local charity for a portion of the proceeds to go to. For all races, including this year’s, Huber’s chose St. Elizabeth Catholic Charities, a women and children’s non-profit.
“That’s extra special because it’s giving back to our community, but also providing a fun event for local residents to come out and have a race in the country on the farm,” Hawk said, “and also get a glass of wine at the end to celebrate.”
When they finish the race, participants get to choose the wine they would like, a pour from four different pre-selected bottles: Sweet Marcella, Starlight Red, Starlight Rosé and Pinot Gris. After they cross the finish line, racers also receive a T-shirt, a wine glass and a finisher medal that doubles as a wine bottle stopper.
There are still 3,916 spots in the race open now, and registration prices are set to increase June 19 at 11:59 p.m. Registration is currently $50 for participants 21 years old and older, and $25 for those under 21.