The Marathon du Médoc, also known as the Bordeaux Marathon, is the world’s booziest and craziest marathon in the world. Fancy dress is compulsory at this marathon, as is wine. The route winds through the famous Médoc region in France near Bordeaux, taking in some of the world’s finest vineyards, and it’s a full marathon — all 26.2 miles of it. Most importantly, there are no fewer than 23 wine tastings along the race course, where some of the vineyards dole out gallons of fine Bordeaux wine to thousands of thirsty runners. Who said red wine and running don’t mix? Not the organizers of the Marathon du Médoc, that’s for certain. It’s not just about the wine stops at the many drink stations — runners are treated to the most eclectic range of food imaginable. Food stations typically offer pieces of banana, orange segments, and other nourishing, easy-to-eat snacks, but then there are stations that go above and beyond by offering blue cheese and biscuits, foie gras, ice cream, cake, charcuterie, steak, oysters, and even marshmallows and a chocolate fountain. This is no ordinary marathon. Pop-up food stalls and wine bars are squeezed in all the way down the main street, tempting runners to try local specialties such as wine, cheese and salami as they pass on their way to the Marathon Expo tent. Since the temptation to just drink and dance is high, the marathon organizers introduced a cut-off time of 6 hours 30 minutes to complete the marathon, with a wagon following along to eliminate people taking longer. With the exception of the elite runners, most participants have the same goal: to have as much of a good time as possible while still being able to finish under the time limit. The next Marathon du Médoc takes place in September 2026.
