The Marathon du Médoc: 26.2 miles, 23 wine stops and three 80s wrestlers

The Marathon du Médoc is the marathon for people who hate marathons. It's 26.2 miles through the vineyards of the Médoc, outside Bordeaux, with 23 stops along the way where you're handed a glass of wine. Everyone is in fancy dress. Nobody is chasing a PB.

In 2016 it was my first marathon, and it was such an amazing experience that ten years later I thought, why not do it again? So in September 2026 I went back, this time with two mates: Tomas, who loves wine and was running his first marathon, and Jason, also on his first marathon, who doesn't drink much wine but wasn't going to miss a chance to dress up.

The weekend at a glance

When	Early September (5 September 2026)
Getting there	Flew from Luton to Bordeaux
Where we stayed	Arcachon on the coast, then Bordeaux
The theme	The 80s
My time	6:09:18 (6:11:56 in 2016, so 2 minutes 38 seconds quicker ten years on)

Three 80s wrestlers

Every year has a theme, and 2026's was the 80s. We wanted to think outside the box, so instead of leg warmers and shell suits we went as wrestlers. I was the Ultimate Warrior, Tomas was "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Jason was Macho Man.

The costumes held up pretty well. The mask was the only real problem: it was made of rubber, so running 26.2 miles in it was a sweaty business.

Arcachon and the Dune du Pilat

We flew out of Luton on the Wednesday and swapped the drizzle for the beach at Arcachon, an hour from Bordeaux on the Atlantic coast. The next day was the Dune du Pilat, the biggest sand dune in Europe, with pine forest on one side and the ocean on the other. Then an easy 10k shake-out run along the beach from the dune back into Arcachon.

The expo

On the Friday we moved to Bordeaux and headed up to Pauillac for the expo and to collect our race numbers. It was 34°C, which didn't do much for the nerves about race day.

That night we went to the official Mille-Pâtes dinner, the pre-race pasta party, held this year at Château Beychevelle, one of the famous châteaux on the route.

Honestly? I wouldn't recommend it. There's a lot of hanging around, and a lot of drinking, because unlimited wine is included (I know, I know, it's a wine marathon). We were staying in Bordeaux, so by the time we got back to the accommodation it was really late. It's just not good pre-race prep.

TOP TIP: Skip the Mille-Pâtes. You'll be better off with a good Italian in town and an early night. There'll be plenty of wine tomorrow.

Race day

The heat was the big worry going in. The forecast was well into the thirties, and running a marathon in fancy dress with a glass of wine every couple of kilometres doesn't need any extra help. In the end we were saved by the clouds for the first few hours. The sun only really started to cook us after about 30 km, by which time we were a little less worried, and a little bit pickled after so much wine.

The start in Pauillac is like nothing else: thousands of runners in fancy dress, music blasting, and a dinner table full of people dangling from a crane over the crowd.

Then it's out into the vineyards, from château to château, each one with its own wine stop. Some of the most famous names in wine open their gates for the day: Château Pichon Longueville, Château Lagrange and Lafite Rothschild among them.

Near the end there's food too. I skipped the oysters but did have some steak. There was also a random shot of tequila and some very potent punch along the way, which were definitely not official stops.

We ran the whole thing together, all three of us. It wasn't about finish times, it was about finish lines, and we crossed it together in 6:09:18. Two first-time marathoners, and me two minutes and 38 seconds quicker than my first go in 2016. Ten years older, and faster.

At the finish they hand you a backpack and a bottle of wine. Not a bad goody bag.

What I'd tell you before you go

• Book early. It's one of the most popular marathons in the world, with around 8,500 runners, and places go fast. So does accommodation near Pauillac, which is why a lot of people stay in Bordeaux, about an hour away. You can find somewhere in Bordeaux on Booking.com.
• Skip the Mille-Pâtes dinner. Have a good Italian in town and an early night instead.
• Think outside the box with your costume, but do a test run in it first. My rubber mask looked great and was horrible to run in.
• Respect the heat. Early September in Bordeaux can be properly hot. Drink water between the wine.
• Make a trip of it. Arcachon and the Dune du Pilat are an hour from Bordeaux and a perfect couple of days before the race.

Quick answers

Is fancy dress compulsory? Yes. Every year has a theme, and pretty much everyone dresses up.

Do you have to drink the wine? Nobody makes you. But with 23 wine stops through some of the best châteaux in the world, it would be rude not to try a few.

Is it a good marathon for a first-timer? For the right person, absolutely. It was my first marathon in 2016, and Tomas and Jason's first in 2026. Just don't expect a quick time.

Where should I stay? We did a couple of nights in Arcachon on the coast, then Bordeaux for the race weekend.

It wasn't about finish times, it was about finish lines. It's an amazing experience, which is exactly why I went back for a second go. If you've ever said you'd never run one, this is the one to sign up for. Grab a couple of mates, pick a costume, and book it.

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