This came in over the PR wire the other day and caught my eye. I love how it's for a good cause, and for once, Bordeaux did put a smile on my face. Read below to see more details, and maybe some day a team from Napa, Sonoma, Washington, or even Oregon could do something similar to this...
Anyways, as a native New Yorker, the Marathon has always been something that's made me proud, both for it's worldwide appeal and sheer difficulty. I have immense respect for anyone who even attempts to finish one, and running in New York City in November is no easy task.
"45,000 runners, 42.195 km (26.2 miles), 4 million spectators: the numbers are impressive. Amateurs and enthusiasts of all kinds from all over the world will be making their way to America on November 6th for the magical race that is the New York Marathon. Among them is an unusual team drawn from fifteen top Bordeaux wine estates. Baptised the Bordeaux Grands Crus Runners specially for the occasion, they represent more than twenty of the most famous names in wine, familiar all over the world. Some of the runners have already been training for over a year under the guidance of a coach who is also a renowned cardiologist, wearing out numerous pairs of shoes and covering hundreds of miles, come rain or shine.
A French TV crew has decided to follow them in their adventure, together with a journalist from a leading French newspaper, a marathon runner himself who will also be taking part in the race. But more than just a sporting challenge, the New York Marathon also offers a unique opportunity to represent the wine estates and their wines. Taking advantage of the spotlight turned on one of the world's most popular sporting events, all the participants will be offering their wines at tastings and dinners in Bordeaux and New York. As well as a challenge, the marathon is also and above all a human adventure just as important as promoting wines. Lysistrata, the women's rights charity of which Titouan Lamazou is the ambassador, has taken a particular interest in the competitors from Bordeaux. That is why the Bordeaux Grands Crus Runners have chosen not only to run but also to raise money, not least through an auction of wines, to defend the cause of women in the world and to help fight violence against them.
For more information about Lysistrata: www.lysistrata.org
The first New York City marathon took place in 1970, when 127 competitors ran several laps round Central Park. 40 years later, the annual event draws over 40,000 runners. The route has been redrawn to take in all the city's five districts: Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx and Manhattan. Over 300 million TV viewers around the world follow the live broadcast. The record of 2:07:43 was set by the Ethiopian Tesfaye Jifar in 2001."
Next year I'd love to see a group of young Napa vintners do this, especially if they also raised money for a charity.
Beau Carufel
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