Marathons with wine stops, brewery run clubs, and whisky trail races prove running and drinking aren’t opposites after all.
Wherever I travel in the world for work, my running shoes always come with me – because there’s no better way to get to know the local terroir than doing it on your own two feet. I’ve traversed the peat bogs of Islay and navigated the vineyards of Franschhoek, Chianti, and the Rhone; scaled the hills of the Douro, followed the River Spey through Speyside and descended the chalky slopes of Champagne.
My times aren’t anything to write home about – I’m dogged rather than fleet. But there are plenty of other runners in the worlds of spirits and wine who are properly elite.
One of the most decorated ultra-runners of all time, François D’Haene, was, until just a few years ago, a winemaker on the side. He and his wife had a winery in Beaujolais, Domaine du Germain, which made pretty decent Gamay. (As if that weren’t enough he’s also a qualified physiotherapist and a father of three). A four-time winner of the 100-mile Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, and a former record holder for the Hardrock 100, D’Haene gave up the wine business in 2021, and now lives in another famous French wine region, the Savoie, where he trains and runs Ultra Spirit, a unique three-day, 62 miles ultra race which includes tastings of the local food and drink (including his family’s wine).
Tristan Stephenson, the master blender for Guy Ritchie’s new English whisky, Rosemaund, has form in running, too – he came third in the notorious Dragon’s Back Race, a six-day, 236-mile race through the Welsh mountains that’s considered one of the toughest ultras in the world.
“People often think that training hard and being in the alcohol industry are incompatible,” says Stephenson. “And it’s true that drinking is not going to actively improve your performance. But for me it’s about living like to the fullest – it’s about great food and great drink, great travel, great company, great friendships, spending time with your family, and exploring the limits.”
Beer also has its own running culture, and many breweries have running clubs. The club founded by Danish brewer Mikkeller now boasts 200 chapters in 40 countries round the world. All are free, meet weekly and, naturally, often finish with a pint. Mikkeller co-founder Mikkel Borg Bjergsø is a keen runner and was an elite athlete for a time. “It means that when I travel, I always have someone to run with,” he says. “It’s a really great way to meet people and a good way to see cities if you run with the locals. I love it.”
Perhaps the most famous of the wine region marathons is the Marathon du Medoc, which has been held in Bordeaux every September since 1985. Attracting over 8,000 entrants, it’s a riotous affair featuring live bands, fancy dress, food stands, and wine stops almost every mile.
One exuberant participant in the Medoc Marathon last year was Tom Gilbey, a British wine merchant-turned-influencer who shot to fame after a video of him blind-tasting wines every mile during the 2024 London Marathon went viral on Instagram.
“The Medoc Marathon is just one amazing party,” says Gilbey. “And what’s more they’re putting out really good wine. Lynch-Bages were serving actual Echo de Lynch-Bages; Pichon (Baron) were putting out Riedel glasses of Les Griffons which is a really lovely wine. And it takes you through some wonderful parts of the Médoc, from the quaint little bits of St Julien right up to the hot, quite barren vineyards of Saint-Estèphe.
“I said: I’m going to drink everything that’s offered on the course,’ he recalls, “but I didn’t realise there was going to be a rogue pastis stand and a pop-up beer tent as well. And it was 87°F. I did it in five hours and 48 seconds, so it wasn’t the quickest time – I don’t know how I did it.”
It’s actually considered “rather bad form”, he says, to run the race too fast, as this suggests that you’re not taking full advantage of all the refreshments on offer. “There’s steak, oysters, fruit cake, croissant, as well as all the wine. And no water at all until at least kilometre number five – the whole thing is very French.”
The Napa to Sonoma Half Marathon in July offers some of the most scenic running in the States. In England, meanwhile, the Bacchus Half (which also includes a 6 mile run) in September is a fun romp through the vineyards of Surrey, south England, at one of the loveliest times of year.
If you’re more into exploring whisky country, then consider the Dramathon, a trail run through Speyside that takes in some of the region’s most famous distilleries including Aberlour, Glenfarclas, Tamdhu, Balvenie, and Glendfiddich. There are four races to choose from including a 6 miles, a half and a full-length marathon that can either be completed solo or as a relay team.
Whisky expert and author of Savour: A Guide to Tasting and Exploring Whiskies of the World, Kristiane Westray has completed the Dramathon three times.
“It’s one of my favourite races – it’s a challenging, interesting course, so it attracts some serious runners,” she says. “But as there are different distances it also feels like it’s for everyone. It’s got a real sense of joy about it.”
“The course starts at Glenfarclas and goes up over the steep, rocky hills behind the distillery, and then drops down into the Spey Valley. And from here you’re running along by water most of the way, and because it’s autumn you’ve got all the trees in their gorgeous autumn colours. If you don’t know where you’re going you can just follow your nose, as you can smell the distilleries before you get to them!”
Those who cross the finish line at Glenfiddich are presented with a medal made from a whisky cask and a goodie bag of whiskies from all the distilleries they’ve passed along the way. “You don’t drink en-route,’ says Westray, ‘but I have seen one or two people doing it with hip flasks…”
