Marathon du Medoc

E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

Hi all,

After seeing this being open for registrations today - is anyone thinking of doing this in 2012?

Clicky

Details:
- Date: 8th September 2012
- Start: 09.30am
- Cut off point: 6hrs 30 mins

Not only is there a wine on route but also fancy dress!

As i'd probably be travelling alone - I'd thought it'd be nice to see if any other forumites would be going!

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Comments

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    Not planning it for this year, but I've done it a couple of times, and it is great fun.

    Try and sort out local accommodation asap.  Try local B&Bs, Chambres d'Hotes, and the like.  Or (if you like roughing it), there is a campsite in Pauillac.

    The walk in the vineyards the next day (with more wine tasting, natch!), and lunch is worth doing, too (another reason to stay locally if you can).

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭
    Thanks Wilkie! That's great advice. Did you stay in the campsite or B&B?
  • BookyBooky ✭✭✭

    I'm seriously tempted too! I need to work out funds, but maybe... image

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    @Bookie - I'm asking a work colleague who lives near the marathon if he's "open" to squatters for a weekend... if he is - i'm happy to extend the invite over to you. It'd be camping but it'd be free.

    Entry  is: 78€ but there are other accommodation packages available (all inclusive pack is 195€)

  • BookyBooky ✭✭✭

    I'm up for camping image

    Cost is going to be the major decider, so anything free is good! Thanks Emmy image

    I have to admit - I found the website a bit difficult to decipher. I thought the all inclusive was more than that?

  • EB sent you message on FB
  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    From my limited french - i've worked out that there's different "packages".

    Registration with Accommodation: clicky
    - Different offers:195€/197€/219€

    Pure entry is: 78€ then there are other packages:

    Initiation Pack : 114€ (bib + Mille Pates dinner)

    Pleasure Pack : 114€ (bib + Walk&Lunch)

    Prestige Pack : 155€ (bib + Mille Pates + Walk&Lunch)

    Festive Pack  : 93€ (bib + Patacaisses dinner)

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    Emmy, you can get the website in English - there's a little Union Flag button at the bottom of the home page...

    We stayed in a B&B in a little village called St Seurin de Cadourne )sp?).   I don't do camping! image

  • It's amazing, I highly recommend it! I'm not doing it this year but it's on my list for 2013 ... any ideas what the fancy dress theme is this year? image
  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    Hi Wilkie - you're right but the English is sometimes difficult to understand!

    Thanks for the suggestion!

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    @Xine - Bookie said on FB that it's 'History with a capital H'

    Are you sure we can't persuade you? image

  • Ahhhhh, its SO tempting! BUT I've already signed up for the Paris-Versailles 16km run at the end of September so I think that will be my French Fix for this year.

    I really hope there are lots of Marie Antoinettes and Sun Kings running this year image you will have to make sure that you take loads of photos at the start, the effort that some people go to with their costumes is incredible!

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭
    @Xine - if you're already over in paris - it's only a few hours on the train down to Bordeaux image
  • Corky2Corky2 ✭✭✭

    Emmy-bug - I loved the English image - I particularly like this bit:

    You wish to live again and share your experience on the Medoc marathon, order now the DVD of the 27th edition!

     ...living again would be good.

    Wilkie - I plan to do it in 2013 because you said it was one of your main achievements so inspired by this where should I be looking in terms of the best place to be located/best hotel/apartment? ...and did you arrange the trip yourself or use a sports travel company? 

     Ta

  • Probably nowhere near as exciting but for those who like the concept but not the cost of travelling overseas there's always the Denbies Marathon (not sure if that's it's real name but I think it starts and finishes at the lovely Denbies vineyard in Dorking) in Surrey that Events to Live organise. There's wine and fancy dress involved so it's similar. A bit.
  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭
    @Wilkie - quick question about the course - is it off road? or all paved?
  • BookyBooky ✭✭✭
    Just had another look at the website - apparently you need a medical certificate in order to register?!
  • BookyBooky ✭✭✭

    Also, it's a bit hilly image

    http://www.marathondumedoc.com/images/stories/dnivel.jpg

    But I suppose the wine will ease the pain *hic* image

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭


    We found our B&B by looking on the web.  There are website that have listings - look for Gites de France, or Chambres d'Hote.

    We did it all ourselves.  The first time, we drove all the way, the second time we flew to Bergerac and rented a car.  Both times we made a holiday of if and had a couple of weeks in France.

    The route is mostly off road, Emmy, through vineyards.  They are mostly rough-ish tracks and dusty.

    There are some stretches of road, but probably less than half is on road.

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    Hi Bookie - Yes - the medical certificate is "standard" for all French races. I saw the course profile and nearly fainted... I'm not the best fan of hills... .but as you say- the wine should help image

    @Wilkie - thanks for the feedback. It's good to know what to expect... 

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    *sigh*

    This is making me want to do it again.....

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    Come on... join us! I'm trying to work out the easiest way to get there (e.g. fly into bordeaux etc). The only thing that slightly worries me are the hills (and of course being outrageously drunk by the half way point..).

    @Wilkie - how did you manage it? Did you drink at every one? or none at all?

  • WilkieWilkie ✭✭✭

    I don't recall hills.  It's a bit undulating, maybe, but that's all.

    We had wine at every Chateau image 

    You tend only to have a little bit (although you can have as much as you want) .  Just because it's Chateau Mouton Rothschild doesn't mean they give you good wine....

    And there is water available too!

    In the later stages there are also food offerings - bits of steak, oysters (you get white wine with these), and ham.  Very welcome towards the end were grapes, and an ice-cream image

    Very much the easiest way around is to have a car.  Although you can get a train (I think) from Bordeaux to Paulliac, if you want to do any of the other things (pasta party, walk in the vinyards the next day) you will need some transport. 

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    You mean.... that they'd honestly give us anything less than their finest vintage?!? image I'm not the best wine person.... so i'm not sure that i'd know the difference!

    Thank you for the information about the hills - i'm getting a better impression of the race in general (especially about the hills and roads).

    I think I just want to confirm my doctors certificate before registering and go from there.

    @Bookie - have you made a decision yet?

  • it's a great event to tick off....

    the hills are really nothing to worry about - sure, they go up and down but they aren't difficult and if you're not going for a PB (why would you??) then walk them like many do. there is a cut-off for the finishing medal (6hrs I think?) but that's plenty of time in reality.

    you won't get "outrageously drunk" as the wine is offered in small plastic cups and some of it, shall we say, is not premier cru... image and the wine tasting places get pretty packed so it's nip in, get a drink (or 2) and move on to the next chateau. the 1st wine doesn't arrive until about 10km in. it's up to you if you want to taste at every stop and also bear in mind that in the last 10k you have the food tasting stops - and by this stage, you'll want to try them!

    we travelled down by Eurostar/TGV - excellent way of getting to Bordeaux as it's pretty stressless (let the train take the strain) but we stayed in Bordeaux as part of a package which meant a 90min coach transfer each way on race day. if I was doing it again, I wouldn't a) take an organise package and b) I'd stay closer to Pauillac.

  • E mmyE mmy ✭✭✭

    Hi FB,

    You're right - it's not for PB but more to know that i'll finish within the time limit. My concern is normally after running a few hours - if i have one beer - i'm normally a bit tipsy - hence my comment... I read somewhere that people are offended if you don't take their wine... (and i'd hate to be rude image).

    When you say that you wouldnt take an organised package - was this one from the official website? or from a tourist site?

  • I don't think anyone would know if you'd had a drink or not at a station - as I said, they're pretty packed and I know that many skip through hoping the next one isn't so bad. don't fret about being rude

    a bunch of us went with 2:09 Events. the reason was that they could guarantee us entries (the event sells out quickly online) but it came with a hotel package in Bordeaux (we organised our own travel as we were coming from various parts of the UK at different times). frankly, they were sodding useless for many reasons and having just checked their website, they don't offer this event now (they have an alternative version - the Marathon du Vin in October)

    I don't know about the packages being offered by the official organisers so can't comment on them
  • BookyBooky ✭✭✭

    I'd sign up now, but I want to talk it over with Cake first. I also have concerns as to whether or not I'd get a medical certificate. I've had problems with my knee and am definitely not marathon material because of it. That's one reason this appealed so much - the focus on the whole experience with wine, food, and fancy dress rather than just the running. I'm certain I could do it in the cut-off, but I'd need to convince a doctor to agree to it...

    Another thought - do you have to pay for medical certificates? I've never needed one before.

  • StB - most people forge the medcert - that's what we did. the French authorities are peculiar in that they ask anybody racing anything to provide a medcert as a matter of course, and frankly it's their getout if anything goes wrong. but the cert just goes into a big pile, aren't checked (how can they check them all??) and if you're happy to accept the very small risk of something happening, just make one up. the form is usually downloadable so get Cake to sign it... image

    just make sure you have appropriate medical insurance in place just in case as treatment in France beyond the standard EHIC (E111 as was) is expensive
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