Wine and running: An unorthodox pairing going mainstream

Who would have thought that when six Frenchmen came up with the idea for a fancy dress marathon including 20 stops for wine tasting and nibbles it would result in generations of Zorros, Cleopatras and cowboys throwing up foie gras and oysters in prized Bordeaux vineyards and the instigation of a global phenomenon that today draws thousands of participants each year?

When the Marathon du Médoc was launched in 1985, people thought it was bonkers. At the time, marathons were serious things done by serious people and many local vignerons were unfussed about getting involved, according to Hubert Rocher, who co-founded the race with five friends.

‘In the beginning, the owners of the châteaux said, “We don’t need promotion for Médoc wines.” But now the situation is very different,’ he says. ‘Médoc wines are facing big problems.’

The naysayers were proved wrong and by 1994, 8,000 people were taking part each year. Since then, interest in combining running and wine has accelerated at an Olympic pace.

International flavour

In recent years, wine regions and vineyards around the world have been launching their own signature runs – from Moldova (where you run through underground wine cellars) to Alsace via Prosecco.

Some are booze-laced, while at others the drinking is saved for after. ‘People enjoy wine but they want to be healthy. That’s why these events are so popular,’ says Tamino Simon of Walter Events & Consulting in Ortenberg, Germany, which is throwing down the gauntlet to the Marathon du Médoc by launching a German rival.

The Henkell 0.0% Vinothon will ply runners with Riesling, spundekäs (a spiced cream cheese spread) and other local delicacies as they jog through some of the prettiest estates in the Rheingau region. Unusually, there will be alcohol-free wines, too, courtesy of the event’s sponsor Henkell.

Wine-based running clubs have even begun to crop up to tap into the growing trend. Katie Brook, founder of Run to Wine, organises regular runs around London that end with a guided wine tasting.

She thinks interest has boomed as the tide turns away from uber-serious running clubs. ‘Many have become too strict and competitive,’ Brook says. ‘People enjoy the social element – and wine helps to bring that. I also wanted to break down barriers around wine, the idea that it’s snobby. Running helps with that.’

The pairing has precedent, too. ‘French winemakers used to get their staff to run around the vineyards so they’d be fit for harvest,’ says writer Colin Renton. ‘Historically, French people would have bread and wine for their lunch, so they were most likely running and drinking wine.’

Renton gave up his job as an investment writer just before he turned 60 to fulfil a lifelong dream of running a marathon. Upon discovering just how many wine-based runs there were, he decided to spend a year running a race a month (including one full marathon), each in a different wine region.

His travels took him from Jerez in Spain to Hungary, Switzerland, Slovenia and even Belgium. He published his adventures as a book: The Wine Runner (Polaris Publishing, 2023).

Health benefits

Clearly combining alcohol and running goes against most sane health advice. ‘Don’t be dehydrated, and do try to have an electrolyte afterwards,’ advises Brook. ‘In my runs, we always have a lot of water at the start and end. Plus, we have food and water throughout the wine tasting.’

‘Don’t overdo it,’ Renton suggests. ‘Try not to have more than one glass of wine at each feeding station in a race.’

Four of the original six founders of the Marathon du Médoc were doctors and Rocher (himself an orthopaedic surgeon) says: ‘We think that wine is medicinal. It doesn’t cure diseases, but it can help to prevent them. You just need to avoid abusing it.’

Research has shown that one of the secrets to longevity is staying socially active. Both running and wine consumption are activities that come with strong communities, so combining the two can be a good way to boost your social circle.

‘People often come to my runs alone,’ Brook says. ‘Whereas you wouldn’t normally book a wine tasting alone. Lots are new to the area.’

As for Renton, he had been unsure about travelling to all of those wine regions alone. But, he says: ‘If you are a solo traveller, your hotel will be full of other runners that you can speak to, and on the day of the race, there’s a kind of shared community. You’re never alone if you don’t want to be.’

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