Race Report: Marathon du Medoc 08/09/2012 #1

In 2011 my husband, friends from ‘Team Moose’ and a few fellow members of Sandbach Striders disappeared on a long “boys” weekend. Apparently it is customary for these weekends to involve some sporting activities, a bit of sight seeing, a spot of drinking and some dressing up.

This was their first experience of the Marathon du Medoc, it looked (and sounded) a good one. I was curious…

So in 2012, I found myself searching the multiple fancy dress web sites, for historical costumes, as the theme for the 2012 marathon was history. As it was France, and with my very limited knowledge of French history, it seemed obvious to me that Marie Antoinette was the perfect character from French history for me to be! I’d learned about her at school, or so I thought…

Now, come race day, I expected to be one of several hundred Marie Antoinettes. I had the wig, the feathers, the rouge, the scarlet lipstick, the beauty spot, the fan and the luxurious dress from the court of her period (albeit somewhat shorter) – very French!

There was no mistaking it, I was Marie Antoinette!

All went well at first, people openly pointed and asked for photos, complimented me on my magnificent outfit (or so I thought, my French isn’t good). I was going to like this marathon, especially as it appeared no one else had gone to the trouble of dressing up as Marie Antoinette – just me, as far as I could see….

There’s a reason for that.

It would appear she’s not such a popular figure in France and even to this day is rather hated and disliked. Now, I wouldn’t quite compare it to wearing a Hilter costume in Germany, more a Margret Thatcher costume in the UK or Oliver Cromwell in Ireland. Big oops.

On my way through the beautiful vineyards, my French improved and I learned “Marie Antoinette decapiter la tete”. I heard this many times from the crowd and fellow competitors – usually accompanied with the action of drawing their finger across their throats – nice. The old cake gag didn’t really feel like the most appropriate reprise, so they got a wave of my fan and a flick of the wig.

 

Somehow I avoided the man running as a guillotine and fortunately, unlike in real life, I was reunited with Louis XVI (Maries husband) at the end of the race, bet he was more popular en route, even though the guillotine got him (before Marie) in 1793, at least he was French! (Unlike Marie Antoinette, who indeed was Austrian, which would appear to be where her problems started, as the ‘common folk’ of France were unhappy and distrusting of this alliance right from the start).

It would appear hatred of the Queen was widespread in France by the late 1780’s, due to her careless extravagance, her apparently loose morals and her alleged various sexual vices. The Diamond Necklace Affair didn’t really help her cause either.

However, I have now read up on the said lady, I like her, who wouldn’t like a lady who made milk bowls out of imprints of her ‘ample breasts’? Not necessarily so good as the Queen of France, but a fascinating character from history none the less.

 

Next year the Marathon du Medoc theme will be Science Fiction, not a topic I know a lot about, but as the 2012 race also proved, my knowledge of history isn’t great either.

For more information visit the website.

Jo