Marathon Tours & Travel Partners with Destination Races

BOSTON - Jan. 28, 2015 - PRLog -- Marathon Tours & Travel and Destination Races are partnering to offer an exclusive Estate VIP Package to one of America's best and most sought-after destination half-marathons, the Napa-to-Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon. Marathon Tours’ package offers runners and their guests a weekend celebration beyond 13.1 miles, including luxury accommodations, exclusive VIP wine receptions, transportation and more.

Destination Races is the pioneer producer of the Wine Country Half Marathon Series, including seven races across prestigious wine regions in North America. Offering unforgettable experiences on and off the course, including it’s trademark Wine + Music Festival, runners travel far and wide for these boutique destination races. The race series attracts elite runners as well as food and wine enthusiasts who share their common bond of running and celebration. The Napa-to-Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon is the flagship event in the seven-race series, and has been selling out since 2008, attracting participants from all over the country and globally.

The Marathon Tours & Travel VIP Estate Package itinerary includes a guaranteed entry to the race, weekend accommodations at the Sonoma Lodge and Spa, a full-day Napa Valley winery tour with local guides, and lunch with wine pairing. Guests are invited to the VIP pre-race dinner with invited athletes and sponsors in a charming setting at a local winery. Runners will have access to an exclusive pre-race staging area at Cuvaison Winery, and post-race they have access to the VIP tent where breakfast and a variety of beverages are served during the Wine + Music Festival.  “We are constantly looking for the world’s best destination marathons and half-marathons to offer clients looking for a high end destination experience. I selected the Napa-to-Sonoma Wine Country Half-Marathon based on my personal experience when I ran it in 2014”, says Thom Gilligan, president of Marathon Tours & Travel.  “We had a fantastic time and felt this was an experience we’d like to share with our customers.”

“Two thirds of our participants in the Napa-to-Sonoma race come from outside California and the United States, so it seemed to be a natural fit to partner with Marathon Tours & Travel to help expand our reach internationally.” said Destination Races Founder and President Matt Dockstader. “Together, we have created this special all-inclusive VIP weekend experience to showcase the fantastic wines, venues and hospitality of this world-renowned region.”

This scenic half-marathon course starts at Cuvaison Estate winery in Napa and winds through the Carneros wine appellation, finishing in Sonoma Plaza where runners are rewarded with a festive post-race Wine + Music Festival, complete with wine tasting, awards, a beer and food garden and live music. General entries to the race sold out in minutes back in November, however, for those seeking a hassle-free, inclusive travel package with VIP amenities, a few VIP Estate entries are still available though Marathon Tours & Travel for this race on July 19, 2015.  Hopefuls can also still register for the 2^nd Chance Drawing to be held in early February.

The Marathon Tours & Travel package is available online by visiting www.marathontours.com. For more information on the Napa to Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon and the VIP Estate Package, please visit www.destinationraces.com/runN2S. (http://destinationraces.com/runn2s/)

For media inquiries about Destination Races and the Napa to Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon, please contact ModCraft:
Shanna Burnette          Rob Vermillion
shanna@modcraftstudio.com         or          rob@modcraftstudio.com
303-601-5177          541-556-3245

About Marathon Tours & Travel
Founded in 1979, Boston-based Marathon Tours & Travel is a travel agency that specializes in the running niche market and offers tours and travel services to running events on all seven continents, including those in exotic destinations such as Antarctica, Easter Island, Kenya and the Great Wall of China. For more information, please visit www.marathontours.com, write to
info@marathontours.com, or call (617) 242-7845.

About Destination Races
Destination Races, based in Sonoma, California, is the pioneer producer of the Wine Country Half Marathon Series. Founded in 2004, the Wine Country Half Marathon Series consists of seven races across prestigious wine regions in North America. Offering unforgettable experiences on and off the course, including the popular post-race wine and music festival, runners travel far and wide for these boutique destination races. The race series attracts elite runners as well as food and wine enthusiasts who share their common bond of running and celebration. The Wine Country Half Marathon Series has limited fields in each event to ensure the participants and their guests can enjoy all the race weekends have to offer, including exclusive winery tours, plus receptions and dinners featuring the local bounty at esteemed wineries and other unique venues.

For more Information on the event series and Destination Races, go to www.destinationraces.com, Friend them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter @winecountryhalf and see exclusive race images on Instagram.

About Napa-to-Sonoma
Napa-to-Sonoma features a scenic 13.1-mile course that starts at Cuvaison Estate Winery in Napa, runs through the Carneros wine appellation and finishes in historic Sonoma Plaza, site of Destination Races trademark Wine & Music Festival.  The GunBunFunRun 5K, starts at Gundlach Bundschu Winery and also finishes in the plaza.  The race was recently selected as one of the top half marathons in the world by Women’s Running Magazine, and is featured as a “bucket-list item” on many lists.  The race has received a number of accolades for its finish, finisher’s medals and scenic course.