Formerly known as the Blaye wine marathons, it chаngе dе nоm еt s аppеllе côtеs, lе mаrаthоn dе Blаyе, Bоrdеаux dе Bоrdеаux. It is part of the marathons organized around the world of wine. For the occasion, several châteaux open their doors to the racers and offer them the opportunity to taste their wines. It is also a place of celebration where the runners' disguises are, each year, a matter of great imagination.
practical information
date: like the Vendee marathon, the Blaye marathon is held on 9 May 2015. The opportunity for runners to enjoy the region and its riches under a weather often very mild. New event since 2012: "10 km from the vines".
registration date: quite rare for marathons, in Blaye, it is still possible to register on the day of the race, knowing that the rates increase significantly for any registration fifteen
days before the event.
maximum number of participants: for the time being, the organizers have not set a maximum. Each year, nearly 500 runners are expected to be on the starting line. In 2014, 364 runners crossed the finish line. The Blaye Marathon is becoming more and more famous but remains a sporting event on a human scale.
rate: €40 until 31 March 2015; €45 until 30 April 2015; €52 until 10 May 2015 inclusive. A fee that may seem rather high but it includes a tasting of oysters, different wines as well as a meal tray served to the runners at the finish line at the citadel of Blaye.
registration: registration is done through the Association du marathon de Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux.
other races: the "10 km des vignes", the half-marathon of the peninsula at Claouey is held in the region around May 12. Elsewhere in France, the Mont-Saint-Michel, Futuroscope, Trélazé, and Route du Louvre marathons are also organized during this period.
The course
interest: the Blaye marathon offers marathon runners the opportunity to cross fourteen traditionally very lively communes and twelve castles. The starting line is located at the citadel of Blaye, a very pleasant and picturesque place. The route is made up of 5% of small roads, the rest being mainly country roads inside the vineyards and properties. The Blaye Marathon also offers 17 musical events and 20 wine tastings along the course
difficulty: this is a fairly hilly course with 4,700 metres of dirt road. According to some runners, the Blaye Marathon is not one of the easy marathons, it contains several odds that can sometimes discourage novice runners.
elevation gain: in total, the course includes a little over 300 metres of positive elevation gain.
temperature: at this time of the year, temperatures are rather mild in the region, usually between 8°C and 19°C. The ideal season to enjoy all the riches and the region and why not, plan a long weekend.
refreshments: a total of 20 refreshment points are available to runners every 2.5 km with a choice of fruit, gingerbread, water, cola.
services at the finish line: at the finish line, doctors, physiotherapists, chiropodists and showers will be available to the runners to relieve them after the effort
