Marathon du Médoc is one of the wine festivals that anchors the Bordeaux calendar, drawing both local visitors and international wine travellers each year. It is held at Quai Léon Perrier in 33250 Pauillac, in the heart of one of France's most distinctive wine areas. It returns each year as a recurring fixture in the regional wine calendar.
Known as 'the longest marathon in the world' — a 42.195km festive race through Médoc vineyards with 23 wine-tasting stations, oysters at km 38 and steak at km 39. 8,500 runners from 50+ nations in compulsory fancy dress. 2026 theme: 'The 80s' for the 40th anniversary. Course passes châteaux including Lafite Rothschild, Latour, Mouton-Rothschild, Pichon-Longueville, and Cos d'Estournel. Wine-themed running events have grown into a distinctive part of the French wine tourism calendar, combining a sporting challenge with tasting stops at chateaux and cellars along the route. Distances usually range from short walking routes for non-runners through to half marathons and marathon trails for serious athletes. Costumes are often encouraged, food and wine stations punctuate the course, and many events raise funds for local charities or wine-related cultural causes. The event is organised by Association Marathon du Médoc, which sets the tone and direction of the programme each year.
Bordeaux is defined by blends of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, organised across classified chateaux on both banks of the Gironde estuary. Each appellation — Medoc, Saint-Emilion, Pomerol, Pessac-Leognan, Sauternes, Entre-Deux-Mers — expresses the region in a distinct way. The brotherhood traditions of Bordeaux are unusually well-preserved, with the Jurade de Saint-Emilion (founded 1199) and the Commanderie du Bontemps among the most active in France. Bordeaux's wine festival calendar mixes major public events such as Bordeaux Fete le Vin with brotherhood proclamations, the Marathon du Medoc and primeur week tastings each spring.
The 2026 edition is scheduled for 5 September 2026. Festival access is ticketed: ~€85 entry fee (race registration). Full programme, ticketing and updated information are published on the official site at https://www.marathondumedoc.com/. Visitors are advised to check directly with the organiser for the latest schedule, as French festival programmes are sometimes updated close to the event date.
Bordeaux is accessible via the Bordeaux-Merignac airport and high-speed TGV from Paris (around two hours). Festival visitors usually combine the event with a stay in central Bordeaux — a UNESCO-listed cityscape — and day trips into the Medoc, Saint-Emilion, Sauternes, or Pessac-Leognan. La Cite du Vin, the Bordeaux wine museum, sits as a natural complement to any festival visit. Bordelais cuisine builds around the wines: entrecote a la bordelaise, lamprey, oysters from the Bassin d'Arcachon, and canele de Bordeaux.
