Kris Brown of Santa Barbara and Madelyn Vorgitch of Moorpark won the fifth Vintners 5 Miler in the Santa Rita Hills on Saturday.
The event, presented by the Santa Barbara Vintners Foundation, was held on a mixed terrain course with scenic views overlooking the Sanford Winery and Vineyards.
Brown, 30, finished first in 28 minutes, 34 seconds, while Vorgitch, 23, not only defended her title in 31:20, but she also smashed her 2018 course record of 31:44 and placed third overall.
For the fourth straight year, the event attracted a record number of entrants: 394 in the 5 Mile and 70 in the 1-Mile Wine Walk. Every finisher received a 5th anniversary t-shirt and medal, and participants 21 & older received a commemorative wine glasses.
The 5 Miler was also a Santa Barbara Athletic Association (SBAA) Grand Prix scoring event.
The team competition had a record 15 scoring teams (5 runners or more), with 241 team members overall. The team title was won by Power of Your Om Yoga Studio, led by men’s champion Brown (28:34). The team set an event record with a 34:25 average (Brown, Jason Smith, 30:51; Dan Rudd 36:34; Adrienne Smith, 37:58 and Jim Sloan, 38:07); previous team record was 34:29 by The Screwcaps in 2016. Inside Track Running Club (ITRC) and Grassini Family Vineyards again had the largest teams, 52 and 34 members, respectively.
“With ideal weather for the runners, walkers and post-event Finish Line Festival plus an event attendee record, our 5th anniversary edition was a huge success,” said Jessica Gasca, President of the Vintners Foundation. “We cannot thank enough all of our participants, sponsors, volunteers, silent auction donors and host Sanford Winery for presenting such an outstanding, fun community event. Together, we raised funds for the Foodbank of Santa Barbara County, one of the Vintners Foundation’s supported community organizations.”