Some ticket holders for Oliver's Half-Corked Marathon are unhappy without a refund for the cancelled event

Photo: Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country

Half Corked Marathon faces backlash over non-refunded tickets

Some ticket holders for Oliver's popular annual Half Corked Marathon are feeling cheated by a missing refund from the cancelled event, and a consolation prize package they feel is lacking. 

Sherri-lynn Picheniuk and her group won the lottery for some of 1,500 spots coveted by over 8,000 applicants each year in the marathon that winds through scenic Oliver and Osoyoos wineries each May. 

She said she understood fully at the time that tickets were non-refundable under normal circumstances. But then, COVID-19 struck, and the race was pushed to September, then ultimately cancelled in favour of an online version. 

"I paid $185 for my ticket. Early bird ticket people paid $220 for theirs. And what they're offering is a virtual party you can attend, and they're going to give you a bag with a bottle of wine and coupons you could use at the wineries ... so then people started asking for refunds, because that's not worth $200," Picheniuk said. 

The compensatory race pack also includes a wine yoke and water bottle, an Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country tote bag and "First chance to purchase tickets to the 2021 or 2022 Half Corked Marathon."

Castanet received several emails complaining about the policy, and Picheniuk said she has heard from other participants as well from all over the province who feel "cheated." The compensation package that includes coupons and discounts for local Oliver and Osoyoos wineries isn't much help to those non-local individuals, she said.

"Nobody's travelling, they're promoting no travelling in the area," she said, adding that a transfer of the ticket to next year would be an acceptable alternative to a refund, but that has been denied. Ticket holders were told that the over $300,000 had already been spent on things like facility rentals, staff salaries, merchandise procurement, and more. 

"I guess I just feel that I've been used. I feel that they've stolen money, more or less, from 1,500 people and they have nothing to show for it," Picheniuk said. "If they can't have an event next year then maybe they aren't the right people to host an event, if they can't handle their money."

The Oliver Osoyoos Wine Country team defended their decision in a statement to Castanet.

"We understand that some Half Corked Marathon participants are disappointed and upset," the statement reads. 

"Our small team starts working on plans ten months prior to the event with countless hours spent on budgeting, sponsor management, catering partner and venue relations, lottery promotion, content planning, social media management, individual communications with our 1,500 participants, transportation. Every element is vital to creating an event that brings participants back, year after year. And every element costs money."

They added that they are a non-profit organization, and that "no one is benefiting from this situation."

"Our decision not to offer deferrals is purely because we cannot truthfully commit to what the event might look like in 2021." 

They said they are answering all emails personally. 

"If any participants need further clarification, we encourage them to reach out to us on email."