A Marathon with a Wine-Fuelled Twist

Originally published in Aussino Wine Life

Every so often, I like to set myself a challenge—something I have never attempted before.

Late last year, encouraged by a few wine-loving friends, I decided to enter the 34th Marathon du Médoc, taking place in Bordeaux on September 8. When registration opened on March 1 at marathondumedoc.com, I signed up straight away.

For someone who once thought running was the most boring form of exercise, even a single kilometre felt as though it might finish me off. A full 42-kilometre marathon seemed nothing short of impossible! Still, I took the plunge, paid the entry fee and submitted my medical certificate.

I was determined to leave myself no way out: whether or not I could finish, I would be there at the starting line. So I began training, gradually working my way up from three kilometres to five, and eventually to more than ten. To keep myself motivated, I set an initial goal: complete a half marathon.

This is no ordinary marathon. The course winds through the famous estates and vineyards of Bordeaux’s Médoc region. Along the way, châteaux serve as refreshment stations, offering not only the usual water and food but also their own wines for runners to quench their thirst. Add music, dancing and live performances, and the whole event becomes one grand celebration stretching across the region.

From encouraging one another and sharing training tips to planning the trip and finally making it there, my friends and I had been looking forward to this moment for months. Standing at the starting line in Pauillac, I could barely contain my excitement. This year’s fancy-dress theme was “Funfair,” and runners from around the world had embraced it with remarkable imagination.

There were rubber ducks, candyfloss, hot dogs, shooting-gallery games, Ferris wheels and roller coasters. Some groups even ran while pushing enormous props. Their creativity was astonishing, but their stamina impressed me even more: running a marathon in those outfits would make an already demanding challenge considerably harder.

The opening show was spectacular. Acrobats performed on an apparatus suspended high above the crowd from a crane, moving to music through a series of breathtaking routines. As the excitement built, three fighter jets swept overhead in a salute to the spectators.

Then, at the appointed moment, we were off—a vast procession of runners filling the streets. Men, women and children lined both sides of the course, cheering, “Allez! Allez!” Their wholehearted enthusiasm was so moving that I found myself blinking back tears.

The first few kilometres felt fairly easy, and I stopped for red wine at several châteaux. One illustrious estate after another was ticked off along the route: Pichon Baron, Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Léoville Las Cases, Léoville Poyferré, Latour, Beychevelle, Montrose, Branaire-Ducru and Grand-Puy-Lacoste. Naturally, I tasted quite a few wines along the way.

The terrain was another matter. We ran uphill and down, sometimes on tarmac but more often over gravel or sandy tracks through the vineyards. It was a considerable physical test, and my legs gradually began to feel heavier. Then an old injury in my left knee started aching, my calves began to cramp, and even my abdomen hurt. My pace grew slower and slower. By the nineteenth kilometre, the soles of my feet were so painful that every step was becoming unbearable. I decided to hold on until kilometre 21 and finish my race with a half marathon.

Of course, I was disappointed not to complete the full distance. But for someone who had hated—and feared—running just a year earlier, finishing a half marathon on my first attempt already made the journey worthwhile. The joy of seeing myself improve through training, working towards a shared goal with like-minded friends, and experiencing Bordeaux’s festive spirit, together with the warmth, encouragement and care of the local people—all of it has become a collection of memories I will treasure for the rest of my life.

微醺馬拉松

這是一場非常特別的馬拉松，整個路線環繞著波爾多梅多克產區的名莊和葡萄園之間。沿路的酒莊都是補給站，除了常規的水和食物之外，還供應自家釀的美酒給跑者們解渴，加上各種載歌載舞的表演，簡直就是一場整個產區同時進行的盛大慶典！

與朋友們互相鼓勵、交換鍛鍊心得，一直到安排旅程，實際成行，站在波亞克村起跑線上時，心中的興奮真是難以言喻。今年比賽的變裝主題是“園游會”，很多來自世界各地的跑者都換上了創意的打扮—有的把自己扮成小黃鴨，也有扮成棉花糖、熱狗、空氣槍遊戲、摩天輪和雲霄飛車的，甚至還有些小團體推著大型道具跑的，令人對他們的創意嘆服不已。更佩服的是，這樣子跑馬拉松會給跑者添加不少負擔，身體素質更要過硬才行。

開跑秀非常精彩，是用吊臂懸掛在空中的一套雜技表演，演員們隨著音樂作出各種高難度動作，讓現場氣氛更加熱烈，同時甚至還有三架戰機衝場，向群眾們致意。時間一到，大家浩浩蕩蕩地開跑了，道路兩旁滿是加油吶喊 “Allez！Allez！”的男女老少，可以看出大家對於這個活動的熱情投入，這讓我的眼眶竟然忍不住的濕了。

前幾公里還蠻輕鬆，也在幾家酒莊喝了紅酒；男爵、女爵、雄獅、波菲、拉圖、龍船、玫瑰莊、周伯通、大鰐等名莊陸續征服，也嘗了不少美酒。途中時而上坡、時而下坡，有時是柏油路，更多是石子路或是葡萄園裡的砂土路，對體能是不小的考驗，也讓我的腳步逐漸沈重了起來。

接著是左膝舊傷隱隱作痛，小腿肚出現抽筋現象，就連腹部也疼了起來，令我前進的速度越來越慢。來到第19公里時，甚至連踩在地面的腳底板也疼得難以忍受了，於是我決定就撐完21公里，以半馬結束吧！

雖然遺憾未能全程完賽，但對於一年前還厭惡、害怕跑步的我來說，首賽能完成半馬已經覺得不虛此行。能感受到一路上鍛鍊進步的欣喜，與志同道合的朋友們一起為同一個目標努力，以及在波爾多當地感受到的盛典般歡樂氣氛與當地民眾的溫暖打氣與照料，這一切都將成為我一生難以忘懷的美好回憶！