OVER 300 RUNNERS DESCEND ON LU MIL

ELIZABETHTOWN – The Lu Mil Wine Run 5K hosted over 300 runners Saturday at the Lu Mil Vineyard located at 438 Suggs Taylor Rd in Elizabethtown, on a perfect spring day for a race.

The race took place with two 5K races, one at 10 a.m. and the second at 11:30. It was a chance to spread out and run the vineyard comfortably with two smaller groups vs one large mob. Saturday morning featured bright and brisk sunny skies that eventually turned into very warm 80-degree temperatures which the second group experienced more than the first group which started in 50-degree weather.

The scenic views of Lu Mil Vineyard provided a great ambiance for the run and each runner got a free drink ticket to get a chance to sample some of the wines from the vineyard that grew the grapes that they were running in. They had their choice of a glass of wine or a wine slushy.

The Lu Mill Vineyard grows Muscadine grapes and many local samples were available for tasting both before and after the race.

Of the over 400 registered runners, 338 actually participated and were chipped for time in the races.

James Hanson was the overall winner of the races as he came across the finish line with a 19:15:27 time. Jenny Kitchen was the overall winner for the women, coming in with a time of 24:43:86.

“This is the fourth time we’ve hosted one of these for this association,” Denise Bridgers, of Lu Mil Vineyard said.

The Lu Mil Wine Run 5K happened just a month before their big May Day Jamboree.

“It was just timing when 5K Wine Run was available and we had done it before in February,” Bridgers said. “It was just too cold so I asked to push it closer to spring. This is just where the dates fell. Today we had 398 pre-registered and we felt like a few would come in today to register so, 400 at least is what we are thinking. Their organization 5K Wine Run runs these events all over the United States.”

Although races often have more registered than actually participate, that may due to last minute illnesses, emergencies or even those who oversleep on a beautiful Saturday morning.

“I rode through the course and it’s is really good shape,” Bridgers said. “Some of it runs through the woods like trails, and they are very level and well-marked. Some of the race is right by the grapevines, and some by the cow pastures with the donkeys and the cows. They come back around by the lake and go right past some of the vineyard cabins. It’s a good variety to get us the length we needed.”

There are not only runners, but also many spectators at this particular event. One of the more unique things is the choice to run as an individual or as a group.

“I love seeing the groups that come back year after year,” she said. “Some of them have never run before but they found it on our Facebook and after the event they are already excited about when the next one will be. Some are just staying at the vineyard and decided to try something they may never have tried before and now they look forward to it every year.”

One family from Raleigh was racing in a 10K in Columbus County in the early morning and by chance heard about Lu Mil and decided to run that one as well.

The vineyard held free wine tastings (3 for free) before the race and then through the event. After the crowd left, they went back to their full tasting.

There were food booths from Barefoot Brew, Chick-fil-A, Southern Squeeze and Freeze Lemonade stand and The Dublin Peanut Festival gang who cooked up hotdogs and served peanuts. Denise and Kayla Bridgers were the main organizers for the day with Kayla organizing and bringing in all the food trucks.

The race was timed and scored by J3 Timing. Results can be seen by going to www.J3Timing.com.

Mark DeLap is a journalist, photographer and the editor and general manager of the Bladen Journal. To email him, send a message to: mdelap@bladenjournal.com