2018 WINE RUN

The Lanzarote Wine Run Started in 2009 and has grown bigger with each year. It now combines sport, wine, gastronomy and music into a great weekend in June, with fun for all ages.

7 years of volcanic eruptions decimated the once fertile land from 1730. The first winery on the island was only started in 1775 with the family-owned Bodega El Grifo. It is still in production today, making it the oldest bodega in all of the Canary Islands.

Today, La Geria – the wine region covers some 13,000 acres with the Socos – semi circles of black lava stones to protect the vines creating a unique landscape and the wines find their way around the tables of Europe and beyond.

There is a children’s race on Saturday which is keenly fought and on Sunday you can either be ultra-competitive for a 22Km running race or take the other option, of a more sedate pace, walking for 12Km. Guess which the girls from the office chose?

On Saturday the 16 June the registered numbers had to be collected and a goody bag too. This had a race t-shirt, a couple of drinks, a jar of jam, energy bars and of course wine vouchers to exchange for a glass of wine during the walk around!

It was an early start on Sunday 17 June. We had to be to Uga for 7.30. The organisation is so slick, coaches are laid on to take the competitors of all abilities to the start of the race. The downside to this early start was waiting… You see the main event is the wine run and as they have further to go, it is only right that they start first.

At 9am the serious competitors sprinted off on their 22Km race. Fortunately, it was a cloudy morning and not too hot for them all – so many runners it was awe inspiring.

10am and our limbering up and chatting had to stop…. We were off. A gentle pace they said, hmmm Michelle shouted over her shoulder ¨come on girls¨ and set off at a cracking pace, we did not want to lose face, so we kept up with her!

The winner of the serious race won in a time of 1:28:11 by Jose Carlos Hernandez Cabrera and the first lady was not too far behind him at 1:31:56 named Aroa Merino Betancor. Bravo to all the runners, in my eyes they were all winners.

We walked and drank wine and made quite good time playing follow the leader. At the end of the walk there is a whole area with culinary delights to be sampled and more wine to be drunk and a concert that was brilliant.

There were medals for all the runners and a podium for the prize-giving ceremony of the first man, woman, veteran and child. All very lovely and humbling too.

The event although in relative infancy is inclusive for everyone, children, serious competitors and even those just wanting to take a gentle walk. Not many sporting events can boast the same, but that is the beauty of this beautiful rock….. everyone is invited.

Do you fancy joining us in June 2019?

Let us know and we can all be one big group together 🙂