Still, sometimes wine and running seem like perfect couple to some people (I wouldn’t necessarily say that I’m one of those people, but that’s maybe just because I never tried drinking wine and running in a race at the same time, and maybe because neither me nor my knees are big fans of running), so the race through a vineyard in Istria has become a part of a series of races intended to bring together the joys of good living and running.
The series is called Run, Eat, Drink, and it aims to combine running in beautiful Istrian peninsula, tasting original cuisine and drinking homemade liquors and wine, while taking part in a unique running league. There are seven stages of the run, and the first one is taking place on April 17th (so, you have just enough time to start jogging and get ready for these races), the so-called Run 4 Ham race, starting in Kod Milana family farm in Vodnjan, taking you through 3 olive groves and at the finish line you will get the chance to taste homemade ham, and “maneštra sa špaletom”, a traditional Istrian dish with a special type of cured meat (špaleta). On April 24th the race will be more “fishy”, as it is called “Sardela Run”, and is a part of the events around the traditional Fažana “School of Pilchard Salting”, where you can learn how to properly salt your pilchards, and participate in a run along the coast, and of course, enjoy the fresh fish and malvazija at the finish line. Then there is a break, to allow you to properly prepare for the main wine event of the series, Run 4 Teran race taking place in Bruno Trapan’s vineyard, and those participating will be able to enjoy a traditional game stew with polenta after the race – and of course, there will be some teran, we are sure.
At the end of summer, on September 1st there will be a beer run, a part of the Craft Beer Festival in Medulin, where the participants of the race will be invited to become the first tasters of various craft beers. In late September, on the 29th, another race around the camping ground, called “Brodet Run” with participants running for the prize of a brodetto made from various types of fish. On the 15th of October a Cheese run will be held, around the farm Kumparička which is well-known for their spectacular goat cheese. The last race will be in the November, on the 19th in Vodnjan, where the racers will celebrate the Days of Young Olive oil, in the region (again) called the world’s best olive oil region in the world.
This seems like an excellent initiative aimed at prolonging the tourist season, and I can’t say I’m not tempted to join at least some of those races. If only my knees would allow me to run for teran…
