Like many good plans, this one was hatched over some good food and a good bottle of wine on a dark winter night. As a group of friends with varying experiences and interest in running, we were looking for an event that would cater to our differing running capabilities and to our shared prowess of enjoying a good day out.
The Bacchus Half Marathon was thrown into the mix and … well, who could resist – an accurately measured, well-marked, chip-timed 13.1-mile race in the beautiful countryside of the North Downs with a ‘carnival-feel’, live music, fancy dress and the opportunity to taste six wines as you went. A nightmarish prospect for some runners, this sounded right up our street. The promise of cheese, olives, and other snacks to accompany the wine sealed the deal. And with a generous five-hour cut-off we weren’t going to be rushing around the course.
And so it was that, on Sunday 8th September we boarded an 8.30am train from Victoria to Dorking. Despite the early start, the train was packed with giddy runners. The event caters for 3,000 runners and they were making themselves known.
As with most races, the week prior had been spent regularly checking the weather forecast – lots of rain was predicted. Unlike most races, the main focus of the Whatsapp chat was the fancy dress that I was threatening to make the others wear. Moulin Rouge-themed as it happened…(it’s a long story)...the others weren’t too keen.
The weather forecast turned out to be somewhat correct. We were all awoken at 2am on the Saturday night by a thunderstorm – a clattering of lightning and a sustained downpour. Luckily it had cleared by the morning and for the race itself we got away with one very minor shower. My running crew also got away with not wearing Moulin Rouge outfits – poor execution on my part.
Alighting at Dorking station, it was a short walk to Denbies Wine Estate where the race was set. Vines were first planted there in 1986 and today it’s one of the country’s largest vineyards - we would be sampling a selection of wines grown and produced on the estate.
A 10km option had also been available but with only two wine tasting stops included for the shorter distance and given the trek from London to Dorking we had decided to make the trip worth our while and go the whole half marathon hog.
We had chosen the latest wave starting at 10.30am and were sipping our first glass of wine by 10.45am – an almost socially and stomach acceptable time for a drop of vino. Interspersed among the remaining wine stations was a HighFive aid station, strategically placed for those who needed some more impactful fueling. Plenty of water was also on offer for those taking a balanced approach, us included.
The course wound its way through the hilly vineyard, weaving through the rows of vines before exiting the estate on to a section of the Pilgrim’s Way with some fabulous views of the North Downs and a particularly steep climb at mile seven. It later re-entered the vineyard with more great views including Boxhill in the distance. In addition to scenic views, the race delivered on the promise of live music and some serious fancy dress. From nuns to flamingos to bunches of grapes – you name it, it was out on the course.
Adopting a very leisurely run-walk strategy, we finished several hours later, pulling into the Pulled Pork after-party to enjoy more food, drink and music – the DJ was still going strong when we left late into the afternoon.
And to the wine itself? The whites were nice, the rosé I would have again and red I will stick to sourcing from more southern, warmer climes. That said, we all boarded the train back to London clinking not only with medals but with a few bottles from the Denby wine shop situated at the end of the course.
If you want to focus on pace, performance and splits this is not the race for you. If, however, you want a relaxed event, some fun with friends in lovely surroundings, this might be a race to consider for 2025.
Would we do it again? Yes, with one area for focused performance improvement. We seriously need to up our fancy-dress game for next time.