The Kelowna Wine Country Half Marathon takes place this Sunday, September 3rd.
The 21-kilometre race begins at 7:00 am at the Vibrant Vine Winery on Pooley Road, with runners making their way through East Kelowna, Lower Mission, South Kelowna and City Park, before finishing at Waterfront Park where the Wine and Music Festival is taking place.
To accommodate the event, rolling road closures and parking restrictions will be in place.
East Kelowna road closures (7:10 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.)
Roads will reopen following the last runner.
- Pooley Road from Rose Road to Bemrose Road
- Bemrose Road from Pooley to Reekie Road
- Reekie Road from Bemrose to Hart
- Hart Road from Reekie Road to Todd Road
- Todd Road from Hard Road to Saucier Road
East Kelowna lane restrictions (7:15 a.m. – 9 a.m.)
- Saucier Road from Todd Road to Bedford Road – no westbound access; only eastbound vehicles permitted.
- Bedford Road from Saucier Road to Casorso Road – one way alternating traffic only.
Lower Mission and South Kelowna traffic information (7:30 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.)
These roads will remain open with runners using bike lanes or road shoulders.
- Casorso Road to Mission Creek Greenway
- From the Mission Creek Greenway, participants will cross onto Lakeshore Road
- Lakeshore Road to Watt Road
- Watt Road to Walnut Street
- Walnut Street to Abbott Street
Downtown traffic information (8 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.)
Parks and pathways will remain open for public use.
- Abbott Street to City Park (participants will use the tunnel)
- City Park to Stuart Park along pathway before finishing at Waterfront Park
Parking restrictions:
- The Water Street Boat Launch parking lot will be closed to the public from Saturday, September 2 at 1 p.m. to Sunday, September 3 at 3 p.m. to accommodate event set up, parking, and runners approaching the finish line. Parking stalls adjacent to the Yacht Club will be restricted during this time.
- The Dolphins parking lot will be partially closed to the public from Saturday at 8 a.m. to Sunday at 1 p.m. A portion of the parking lot will still be available for public use.
- On-street parking on the west side of Water Street from Sunset Drive to Cawston Avenue will be restricted on Sunday, September 3 from 4:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. to accommodate shuttle buses transporting race participants. Vehicles parked along Water Street during this time will be courtesy towed to the City Hall parking lot located on the corner of Ellis Street and Doyle Avenue.
- On-street parking will also be restricted along Watt Road (west side) from Boyce-Gyro Park to Walnut Street and on Walnut Street (west side) from Watt Rd to Abbott Street from 4:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Sunday, September 3.
Motorists are asked to be cautious while driving through these areas as runners have the right of way through intersections during the race. RCMP, along with certified flaggers, will serve as traffic control personnel along the race route and all traffic controls and on-site personnel must be observed.
Transit impacts:
The following transit routes may experience delays or rerouting during the event:
- Route 1 Lakeshore
- Route 12 McCulloch
- Route 15 Dehart
For transit route and schedule information, visit bctransit.com/kelowna.
The Wine and Music Festival will be set up at Waterfront Park until noon., and the park will remain open to the public.
For more information about the Wine Country Half Marathon and its route, visit destinationraces.com/runbc.