{"id":556,"date":"2024-07-22T14:07:26","date_gmt":"2024-07-22T06:07:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/index.php\/2025\/03\/07\/frances-wine-runs-marathon-du-medoc-is-fun-but-beaujolais-is-the-boozy-race-to-beat\/"},"modified":"2025-11-23T09:56:03","modified_gmt":"2025-11-23T01:56:03","slug":"frances-wine-runs-marathon-du-medoc-is-fun-but-beaujolais-is-the-boozy-race-to-beat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gagner-des-cadeaux.org\/?p=556","title":{"rendered":"France’s wine runs: Marathon du M\u00e9doc is fun but Beaujolais is the boozy race to beat"},"content":{"rendered":"
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How do you make a marathon fun? Add wine. Lyon-based writer, wine aficionado and runner (in that order) Anna Richards argues that the best wine marathon in France takes place in Beaujolais. <\/em><\/p>\n

These days, bar crawls have gotten a whole lot more physical.<\/p>\n

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The world\u2019s first wine marathon, the Marathon du M\u00e9doc (near Bordeaux), started in 1985, and since then, wine-infused runs have popped up all over the globe. Rather than jelly candies and gel sachets, runners participating in M\u00e9doc are treated to oysters and ice cream (France is the country of haute cuisine, after all). Yet securing much-coveted places has become an almost military operation, akin to getting Glastonbury tickets.<\/p>\n

Giving M\u00e9doc some worthy competition is the Marathon du Beaujolais, in eastern France. I participated in the Beaujolais Half Marathon in November \u2013 and it truly gives M\u00e9doc a run for its money.<\/p>\n

\"Woman
All ages are welcome at the wine marathons \u00a9 Morgan Bove<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You may have heard of Marathon du M\u00e9doc<\/h2>\n

A carnivalesque parade of gaudily dressed runners, live music and 23 different wine tastings as the region’s famous chateaux open their grounds and cellars to runners along the route. There are also stalls handing out local delicacies like oysters and entrec\u00f4te steak, to ham, cheese and fruit. M\u00e9doc is a spectacular event indeed. But as the best-known wine marathon in the world, and with participation capped at 8000, the final wave of tickets is already close to selling out. And since the marathon takes place annually at the end of the summer (in 2023, on September 2), hotels and transport are at a premium, and temperatures regularly in the 80s Fahrenheit (high 20s Celsius).<\/p>\n

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The Beaujolais marathon is a scenic race through France’s wine country \u00a9 Morgan Bove<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

You can expect your marathon photos to be framed by blue skies, and to have merlot pouring out of your pores. The M\u00e9doc race course is a scenic loop of ch\u00e2teaux and vineyards, and fortunately pretty flat. Yet Beaujolais is linear (starting in the picture-perfect village of Fleurie and ending in Villefranche-sur-Sa\u00f4ne), and takes you largely downhill. M\u00e9doc will run you \u20ac96 for a basic race pack, compared to \u20ac65 for Beaujolais. While this sounds like a lot for a mere run, it works out good value once you factor in all the included tastings and food. For both, participants receive a party bag that includes a bottle of wine. (Chugging it during the warm-up is not recommended.)<\/p>\n

\"Participants
Participants of the Marathon du M\u00e9doc are treated to oysters \u00a9 Philippe Lopez \/ AFP \/ Getty Images <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But have you heard of Marathon du Beaujolais?<\/h2>\n

Beaujolais is a region for people who like to enjoy wine without pretense. Many of the crus<\/em> (prestigious vineyards) win plenty of awards, yet this doesn\u2019t stop winemakers from having some fun with it.<\/p>\n

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Beaujolais Nouveau has gone viral around the world. Once regarded as a clever PR stunt, the tradition started in the 1970s, when local winemaker Georges Duboeuf arrived in New York to flog a crate of young wine from that year\u2019s harvest. Today, celebrations happen worldwide everywhere from San Francisco to London each November, with particularly large festivities happening in Japan (people quite literally bathe in the red stuff). Nowhere is the party quite as raucous, though, as in Beaujolais itself, the crowning event of which is the Marathon du Beaujolais.<\/p>\n

The route winds through 12 villages, with 15 tastings along the way. If 26.2 miles has you running in the other direction, there\u2019s an eight-mile route with three tastings, or the 13.1 mile half marathon route, which I opted for, officially with nine different tasting stops (though the final pitstop has 10 tasting stands in a row).<\/p>\n

\"Beaujolais
Fancy dress is encouraged \u00a9 Morgan Bove<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Arguably as important as the free-flowing wine is the fancy dress. Unless you\u2019re Mo Farah, wearing Lycra makes you look silly (this isn\u2019t a marathon to set a personal best). Think \u201cwow\u201d factor over practicality: supermarket trolleys, cardboard locomotives and pantomime horses. The best getup I saw was the late Queen Elizabeth II, who somehow managed to run with a bottle of Beaujolais balanced on a silver tea tray surrounded by Rich Tea biscuits.<\/p>\n

The first couple of tastings risk running dry, particularly if you\u2019re in the last wave of runners \u2013 but don\u2019t despair. The further along you get, the more refreshments materialize, and many stands hand out full bottles rather than simply refilling your souvenir cup. The route dives in and out of wine cellars, with live music and DJ sets, while wine barrels on wheels provide either a twirling podium or a fast track to a broken ankle, depending on inebriation levels.<\/p>\n

\"Anna
Writer Anna Richards and friends at the Beaujolais Wine Marathon in November 2022 \u00a9 Anna Richards<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Since the event takes place in November, temperatures are much cooler than for M\u00e9doc, and the vineyards serve up a fiery mass of crimson and burnt-orange vines. The Beaujolais villages along the route are built from the region\u2019s golden stone, which becomes positively luminous in sunlight.<\/p>\n

\"Running
The views and scenery along the Beaujolais route are hard to beat \u00a9 Morgan Bove<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Regardless of length, all the routes finish in the region\u2019s 13th-century capital, Villefranche-sur-Sa\u00f4ne, and follow mostly fully paved country roads, with some muddy sections cutting through the vineyards. Officially there\u2019s a time limit (seven hours for the marathon, four hours for the half), but since the people of Beaujolais aren\u2019t known for their punctuality, it wasn\u2019t strictly enforced when I ran. In 2022, over 20,000 runners participated, which created an unparalleled party atmosphere.<\/p>\n

Is it France if I don\u2019t mention food? While there are oysters (you\u2019re a long way from the sea), you can expect delicately grilled morsels of rare steak, Comt\u00e9 cheese and chocolate galore.<\/p>\n

\"Beaujolais
At both marathons, local chateaux and vineyards open their cellars and bars for participants to enjoy a glass (or two or three) of wine \u00a9 Morgan Bove<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How to make it happen<\/h2>\n

Sign-ups for Marathon du Beaujolais are now open. Race packs need to be collected in person (or by a friend with a photo of your ID) one to two days before the marathon. All runs in France require you to have a signed doctor\u2019s note to say you\u2019re fit enough to participate. Forms can be downloaded here and are valid for a year.<\/p>\n

\"Friends
The Beaujolais afterparty is an easy-going and welcoming celebration \u00a9 Morgan Bove<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Accommodation in Villefranche-sur-Sa\u00f4ne is limited, but Lyon (30 minutes by train) has many lodging options, plus countless Beaujolais Nouveau parties to continue the euphoria post-run. High-speed trains to Lyon take two hours from Paris; you can also fly in to Lyon\u2013Saint-Exup\u00e9ry airport.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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