The Médoc marathon is held annually in this renowned wine region
of France. Among the Grand Cru vineyards, athletes take a tour that
includes tasting the famous wines.
The Marathon du Médoc is a great spectacle as its 8,500 competitors
(maximum number allowed) wear customized costumes, often very
bizarre and the product of creativity. The marathon begins and ends at the pier in
Pauillac, a town on the Gironde River that lies halfway between the
the city of Bordeaux and the Atlantic Ocean. When they touch the finish line, the
runners pirouette, jump and dance on the Pauillac pier, anticipating
the showers, massages and commemorative wine they will receive.
The world’s longest marathon
The longest race in the world, so goes the motto of the Marathon des
Chateaux du Medoc is undoubtedly one of the most unique sporting events on the entire
the planet and which will see its 35th edition on Sept. 11, 2021. The towns of Pauillac, Saint Estephe and Saint
Julien cradle some of the best wines in the world and located on the banks
lefts of the Gironde estuary north of Bordeaux (France), host
indeed since 1985 this blend of sports, fun, entertainment and
wine culture. It is among other things a full marathon so with its
its classic 42,195 meters, in which while running, wine is served even
though, of course, there are bottles of water, isotonic drinks, fruit,
cookies, etc. The event as bizarre as it is original is the brainchild of a
group of medical friends who invent this race that runs along roads
paved, dirt and sandy roads, among vineyards and the spectacular castles that
decorate the landscape of this famous wine region. About 500
participants, a very respectable figure for the time, were put on the
starting line to complete the mythical distance. In subsequent editions
something spontaneous emerged that certainly changed the spirit of this
test: the people who came out into the streets to watch the passage of the
runners began to offer them the best of those lands viz.
wine. In this way, what started as an anecdote became the
main feature of the marathon along with the costumes, which would
would have to wait a few more years to solidify as an essential part of the event.
The great numbers of the Médoc marathon
This annual competition has outgrown its impact and recognition
year after year has allowed many runners from all parts
of the world and so it is not surprising that there are Japanese, British,
Americans, Germans, French, Italians and many others. The notoriety of the event
however, affects more than 55 countries including Vietnam, Israel, the Philippines, the
Barbados or Malaysia. All this attests to the event as the second marathon in number
of participants from France, behind only the competitive one in
Paris. The limit of participating athletes is officially set at 8,500
(although there are usually about 9,500 on the starting line) and for each
edition there are more and more applications for participation. The numbers of
bibs sell out within a few weeks of the opening of the
registration that starts in February, and even the available places in the
hotels are quickly booked, and the same goes for those in campsites
included within a 20-mile radius!
The primary objective of the Médoc Marathon.
Although the spirit of the race is fun, more than 90% of the athletes
manage to finish more than 42 km within the maximum time of 6 hours. The winner usually
usually completes the tour around 2h 25m which can be considered a great time
taking into account the fact that it is not a suitable land to get the top, as
the route is a mix of sections with grade changes, vineyard crossings
and roads with dirt, sand and gravel. So much effort deserves its reward,
although the latter does not come in the form of prize money, but the
winners in both the men’s and women’s sections get bottles of wine
from some of the best local wineries and that they have run through
during the marathon itself as well as T-shirts, bags, medals and other small and
welcome gadgets. The winner certainly doesn’t make the stops at the refreshments, but the
majority of participants put competitive spirit on the back burner and dive in
into what is the true spirit of the competition i.e. they give a good
account of the wines and all kinds of dishes on offer: from oysters to
roasted meats, as well as cheeses, ice cream, chips and sausages, all
enlivened by musical groups and fanfare.
