Boozy French Marathon Includes 23 Wines to Taste, Oysters, Ice Cream and a Steak Break

If your idea of a triathlon consists of an appetizer, entrée, and wine pairing, there’s a marathon in France that should excite your athletic instincts.

The annual Marathon du Médoc is a 26.2-mile race in Bordeaux, France, every September. What makes this particular race interesting is that there are 23 different wines that participants are supposed to try as they make their way through the course. There is at least one break for steak.

The route winds through vineyards, past chateaux, and allows “runners” time to sample cheese, ice cream, and oysters as they race through all 26 miles. Despite the extreme conditions, no contestant has ever died at the Marathon du Médoc. (It perhaps helps that every participant must submit a medical certification in order to compete.) But, according to one journalist for The Guardian who participated in the race, there is an awful lot of projectile vomit on the course.

The race takes about six-and-a-half hours and participants are encouraged to take their time. Oh, and all the athletes of the Marathon du Médoc are required to show up in costume, by the way.

Registration for the Marathon du Médoc costs $102 (€87) and is limited to 8,500 participants. The only qualification is that you must have been born before September 9, 1997. This year’s race, taking place on September 8, is closed but you can try to get on the waiting list — or just go to Bordeaux to watch the spectacle from the sidelines.

And hey, it’s never too early to start training for next year with a bottle of wine. See you at the finish lane.

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