"Wherever I travel in the world for work, my running shoes always come with me - because there's no better way to get to know the local terroir than doing it on your own two feet. I've traversed the peat bogs of Islay and navigated the vineyards of Franschhoek, Chianti, and the Rhone; scaled the hills of the Douro, followed the River Spey through Speyside and descended the chalky slopes of Champagne."
"A four-time winner of the 100-mile Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, and a former record holder for the Hardrock 100, D'Haene gave up the wine business in 2021, and now lives in another famous French wine region, the Savoie, where he trains and runs Ultra Spirit, a unique three-day, 62 miles ultra race which includes tastings of the local food and drink (including his family's wine)."
""People often think that training hard and being in the alcohol industry are incompatible," says Stephenson. "And it's true that drinking is not going to actively improve your performance. But for me it's about living like to the fullest - it's about great food and great drink, great travel, great company, great friendships, spending time with your family, and exploring the limits.""
Running while traveling provides a direct way to experience local terroir and landscapes. Journeys include traversing the peat bogs of Islay, the vineyards of Franschhoek, Chianti, and the Rhone; scaling the hills of the Douro; following the River Spey through Speyside; and descending the chalky slopes of Champagne. Times are dogged rather than fleet, while many figures in wine and spirits are elite runners. François D'Haene combined winemaking with world-class ultrarunning and now stages Ultra Spirit, a three-day 62-mile race with local food and drink tastings in Savoie. Tristan Stephenson balances master-blending with ultra-distance running and emphasizes great food, drink, travel, family, friendships, and exploring limits. Beer also has its own running culture.
Read at Elite Traveler
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