France
Marathon du Médoc 2027
Saturday 4 September 2027 · confirmed date
316 days to go
Key facts
- Race day
- Saturday 4 September 2027
- Confirmed by the organisers
- Start
- 09:30
- local time
- Course
- Rolling · Loop
- Quays of Pauillac to Quays of Pauillac
- Course record, men
- 2:19:20
- Sacha Lotov, 1992
- Course record, women
- 2:38:34
- Joalsiae Llado, 1999
- Time limit
- 6h30
- First held
- 1985
The race
About the Marathon du Médoc
The Marathon du Médoc, officially the Marathon des Châteaux du Médoc, has been run around Pauillac since 1985 and is unlike any other race in France. Most runners wear fancy dress around a yearly theme, the course winds through vineyards and past wine châteaux, and the stops along the way include wine tastings, with oysters and steak among the treats late in the race. It is organised by a volunteer association, with about 3,000 volunteers on the day.
The 6h30 time limit is generous by design: this is a race to enjoy rather than to run flat out. It suits groups of friends, costume lovers and experienced marathoners looking for a different kind of day.
Course
The Marathon du Médoc course
The start and finish are on the quays of Pauillac, beside the Gironde estuary, and the course makes one big loop through the vineyards of the Médoc, including the Pauillac, Saint-Julien and Saint-Estèphe appellations. Runners pass through or alongside many wine châteaux, where tastings are set up. The organisers describe the course as rolling, and about a quarter of it (24%) is on gravel tracks between the vines, which is slower than road. The second half is usually the hardest, as the day warms up; the oyster and steak stops come in the final kilometres.
Race-day weather
Early-September mornings in the Médoc are usually mild, around 16-21°C at the 9:30 start, and often warm by early afternoon, sometimes above 25°C.
Train
Training for the Marathon du Médoc 2027
45 weeks to go. A marathon plan runs 12 to 24 weeks and ends on race week. Here is when each one starts.
| Plan | Starts on |
|---|---|
| 24 weeks | Monday 22 March 2027 |
| 20 weeks | Monday 19 April 2027 |
| 16 weeks | Monday 17 May 2027 |
| 12 weeks | Monday 14 June 2027 |
For this course
Train for heat and terrain rather than pace. Your build-up falls in July and August, so get used to running in warm weather, keep long runs easy, and practise drinking water regularly. Include rolling routes and some gravel or trail sections in your long runs, since a quarter of the course is unpaved. If you plan to taste the wine, keep it to small sips and alternate with water. Do at least one long run in your costume to check for chafing and overheating.
See the marathon pace chart or a sample sub-4 plan.
Print a pace band for the Marathon du Médoc, with the race clock at every kilometre.
Entry
How to get a place
Registration is online only, on the official website, on a first come, first served basis; for 2027 it opens in early March. The race is capped at 8,500 runners. The rules ask runners for a PPS (Pass Prévention Santé) completed within a year of race day. Bibs cannot be resold privately: only the organiser can buy them back, until 30 June. Bibs are collected in person in Pauillac on the Friday before the race.
Every marathon lottery date for 2027 → Which marathons have no lottery? →Organised by Association pour le Marathon des Châteaux du Médoc
Official websiteQuestions
Frequently asked
When is the Marathon du Médoc 2027?
The Marathon du Médoc 2027 is on Saturday 4 September 2027. The organisers have confirmed the date.
When should I start training for the Marathon du Médoc?
Count back from race day: a 16-week plan for the 2027 edition starts on 17 May 2027, a 20-week plan on 19 April 2027. Most runners need 16 to 20 weeks; 12 is the shortest block worth doing.
Do I have to run in fancy dress?
The organisers' rules say « Le Médoc se court déguisé » (the Médoc is run in costume), and most runners dress up around the year's theme.
What is the time limit?
6h30. Sweepers run at that pace; runners behind them at halfway are taken out of the race, and the finish line closes after 6h30.
Is the Médoc course hard?
It is rolling, with about 24% on gravel tracks, and it is often warm. Most runners take it steadily and enjoy the stops.
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