Marathon du Medoc: Running France's long-distance drinking race

The Medoc Marathon, held on on September 13, 2014, will see 10,000 competitors strive to run 26 miles and sample as many glasses of wine as they can handle.

(CNN) -- I'd already run about half the marathon when the next refreshment table came into view.

Thirsty and needing to stay charged for the next 13 miles, I elbowed my way through the crowds of runners and grabbed my drink of choice.

A nice glass of full-bodied red wine. This is how it rolls at the Marathon du Medoc, an annual festival of wine and running near Bordeaux, France, in which competitors strive to complete 26 miles and almost as many glasses of the local vin. 

Now in its 30th edition, the race is something of a legend for marathon runners. Last year I was among 3,300 runners from 53 different nations -- Japan, Canada, Australia -- joining 5,200 competitors from across France. 

Sure, there are prestige races in London, New York, and Chicago, but the gustatory element is lacking. Even the Paris marathon fails to offer much more than bananas and water. Instead, this marathon weaves through scenic vineyards in the Medoc region, starting in the town of Paulliac, where some of the best Bordeaux wines are produced. 

The run has a time limit of six hours and 30 minutes and is nicknamed "the longest marathon in the world" with little exaggeration. In 2013, only about 1,100 runners finished under four hours and thirty minutes -- the other 7,400 were in no rush, if they finished at all.

For more news visit: http://edition.cnn.com/2014/08/29/travel/medoc-marathon/