Like enjoying a bottle of wine, running the Medoc Marathon is better when shared, but you can still do it alone.
Five years ago, I ran Medoc with my brother… and I really missed him out there today. It would’ve been great to clock the Ks while knocking back some glasses of wine. Plus, he’d have made a killer Bill Maxwell (Robert Culp) to my Ralph Hinkley.
The race is still bonkers and sauced, so here’s a photo album upload — there are too many pics but even now as I try and do this, I’m a little hungover from the “aid station wine stops,” so, ya know… SHRUG.
My number one fan… plus Hopper, my number two roo (Skippy, the official kangaroo mascot of TravellingFit will always be #1). Love you, Mom!
Bill the Minion. His wife Diane had to hand dye the shirt because she couldn’t find the right yellow one.
The TF gang gathers.
Hulk(s) smashed… actually, they’re sober here but SOON!
I loved this guy — that’s his natural hair. He went as Albert Einstein because “not all heroes wear capes.”
Lee breaking down the itinerary — basically, get off the bus, walk to the start line and have fun. Then be back on the bus by 5 PM because it’s stacked parking and you don’t want to be that guy who holds up 10,000 drunk runners trying to get to a shower.
Canadians and their Chicago friends — I mainly snapped this because I loved this guy’s Underdog costume. The ears take it to a new level.
Skippy, me, Hopper, and Mom.
The TravellingFit League Of Heroes — ASSEMBLED!!
That’s the line for the port-a-loo. Frankly, even with a panorama I couldn’t capture it all.
What’s the deal with the chicken cart? As Lee would tell me later, he often wished the runners came with subtitles to help explain what was going on.
I’m not sure if I was posing for frisking or excited at the prospect.
Crowds of runners.
Super Frenchies. Super Medoc Men.
It’s us… and it’s him, ah, Mario! He’s a Super Mario Brother after all!
This was the sweeper for a 6:30 time…
I tried to Hinkley ahead of it.
“Fun” Fact: Soon after Greatest American Hero premiered, Ronald Reagan was shot by John Hinkley… leading to some ADR dubbing to change the lead’s name to Ralph Hanley for half a season.
I have always loved this race’s logo and motto: The Longest Marathon In The World.
This is Aki. He was the only other Greatest American Hero I saw.
I think he was even happier to see me than I was to see him. Twinsies!
Wonder Women and Men.
That’s right, folks. I-Rum Man! Drinking Puns!
Some Luigis, some samurai, some others.
The Cirque Stylings of the Opening Ceremony — the acrobats really got into character… albeit Supes was rockin’ a non-traditional goatee. Maybe he’s EVIL Superman from the Mirror Universe.
In the crowd.
Surprisingly DC heavy… not as many Avengers assembled as I might have expected.
Oh, the humanity.
These people I think just live here… what a weird thing to walk out onto your balcony and see.
Moving SLOWLY to the start line proper.
Supes and his goatee of doom!
Aerialists.
Spider-Man was killing it with the iconic poses!
Ah, Catwoman. If you fell you’d land on your feet.
Fight Crime With Wine!
Wonder Woman and… an Angel? Wait — what’s up with the winged angel? I guess maybe angels were sorta superheroes of the bible.
Wonder Men with their Wonder Woman above.
I have crossed the starting line. It’s been a while since the gun went off.
This is the mascot of te marathon — a drunken dude with bib number 176. I don’t know the significance of that… nor the mascot’s name. So I’ll just call him Albert. And I will tell him I love him.
Popeyes.
Amongst the crowd.
That’s my hair!
Madness…
It took a long time to break out of the shuffling opening kilometers. Hard to get any kind of pace going.
But look a the locale!
Headed to the first Chateau wine stop.
Maybe this Loki and his spoils of war help explain the lack of Avengers on the course.
See those dudes in black? They aren’t Men In Black (well, they are men… and in black…). They’re on a mission from God and were rocking out to Soul Man.
Super Neros. That’s pretty good guys.
Food galore… and but one table of options.
I saw this guy from behind and thought — wait a second… and when I saw him from the front I wanted to applaud. Clousaeu!
Running
I tried to pass on the edge… and wound up getting to higher groun.
Vines aplenty.
Carrots: A SUPER Food. Punny. Very punny.
Harley Quinns abounded.
To the next wine stop!
The spills of war.
Salud.
Cloud cover helped at times keep the heat down.
I swear I ran behind this guy in 2013 (which I found out was the year Steve and I ran… so not 5 years ago, but SIX!)
The front of that bunny guy. Super creepy from any angle.
Truffle Boy and champagne Girl — nice.
Smurfing smurfs!
Along the way.
It’s only been 11K?!
More drinking awaits…
A lot more drinking.
But He Man and Thor were taking a breather to bust a move.
Moving right along.
Duff Men!
The band plays…
Back on the road.
Another K…
…another Chateau
You think the guy on the left lost his underoos and the other guy was trying to so the same whilst running?
Cloud cover.
Arch!
Toasting the bartenders!
Amongst the vines.
So. Much. Food.
Bee Man!
Cavemen? Tarzan? I don’t know.
Big tower.
This place was classy…
The staff welcomed us…
And then gave us REAL glasses of wine
None of those plastic cups for this place.
Cheers, my man!
This vineyard was playing David Bowie. I was a fan.
Put on your red shoes and dance…
I was a huge fan… until I saw the plastic cups.
C’mon, people!
We got a piper down. We got a piper down.
I had hoped to see Mom and the TF people here…
But apparently this year the course was run in reverse so people weren’t 100% sure where they’d be. Missed ’em this time.
Headed back into a town…
This cart’s wine bottle either sprung a leak… or the pushers were sucking wine out of it.
Churchy.
So, ya know, at some point I HAD to chase the wine with some water.
Back into the race.
The vines are alive.
I liked this place…
Nice grounds…
And with their Asterix and Obelix theme, they had great signage.
Plus, they were roasting this for us.
It was really tasty.
But I appreciated their potion magique.
Even if it was served in plastic cups.
Sprinklers… but I was so soaked with sweat I couldn’t feel the water hitting me.
Huh. White Bordeaux Wine. Nice.
But not to worry — there was plenty of red ahead.
26Ks… not miles. Sigh.
Good steel drum band.
Avenue of trees.
Have fun storming the castle!
Cheers once more.
Another sprinkler
Oh, god. More wine? Wine not!
Mid race massages were offered at a number of chateaus.
Raising a glass… A GLASS!
I hear these Giraffe guys pulled Rosie Ruizes and came in late and cut huge swaths of the couse.
But… they’re pretty good costumes,
If you know me, you know my drunk test involves when my hand involuntarily curls… it was definitely starting to curl here.
Iron Man! And Batman… but IRON MAN!
Sure, sure… just one more glass.
Balloons!
I think that sign says “wine ice cream”
It IS wine ice cream — I went with the red one!
And chased it with a red wine. When in Medoc…
Did somebody say… Waffles?
How many is this?
I lost count.
I was thankful for some shade… but it didn’t last long.
This gooey confectionary treat was pretty great in the later Ks.
Running round…
Tasty glass…
AND she insisted I take a bottle… if only for the photo.
Dusty days.
Arch…
Heading into the home stretch… guess I better re-alcohol-ate.
See this road…
…at the corner, I cut it too close…
And my cape got caught on the prickly vines. Edna Mode was right about the capes.
Up the hill.
Running along.
Snacks…
…and sandwiches along the way.
Dark clouds rolling in.
But I just keep moving.
The famed oysters stop.
I couldn’t do it. Not a huge oyster fan anyway but my stomach was feeling really rough.
Hey, you running a marathon? Cool. I’m just going to smoke my cigarette then.
Darkness falls.
Forty K in.
This is the “make yourself beautiful for the finish” stop.
I took a selfie as a joke…
But this woman insisted I get a moustache. I moustached her a question — would she take a selfie with me? The photo speaks for itself.
Oh, god… how much farther?
Turning toward the finish.
The finishing arches
There’s Mom! I found her thanks to Hopper… later Mom would tell me some bratty French kid tried to steal Hopper and Mom nearly had to come to blows to protect our Roo.
The shot Mom took of me finishing!
I was so sweaty disgusting that the moustache became a smear of awful.
The board shows my gun time… the chip time is even better.
The food tent.
In I go…
Lots to eat
People milling about
food and drinks
But they only had beer? That’s weird (I was told later there WAS wine… you just had to ask for it. I more than made up for it at the balade).
Runners relaxing in their VIP space.
How VIP? Look at that bear. He got his own chair. And have you seen a cooler bear rockin’ sunglasses?
So Mom remembered this from 2013 — a knock-off DisneyLand.
In six years they haven’t been hit with a copyright lawsuit? Huh.
I caught up with Aki just as we were leaving — with great powers come great finishes.
And that night I tried to toast my Mom; I’m tied with my brother as HER biggest fan. Love you, Mom!
