Moldovan winery holds 10k run in its cellar

Over 350 runners have taken part in a 10-kilometre, underground race held in Milestii Mici winery’s vast cellar in Moldova, which holds around two million bottles.

Image: Milestii Mici Wine Run

Held for the first time on 20 January, the Milestii Mici Wine Run took place in the winery’s cellars which broke the Guinness World Record in 2005 for having the most number of wine bottles stored in one place.

The certificate reads: “The cellars of the Milestii Mici winemaking plant contain over 1.5 million bottles of wine. The bottles are stored in 55km (34 miles) of underground galleries excavated in lime mining operations. The first bottle was stored in 1968, and new vintages are added each year”.

According to the winery, the total cellar area covers around 200km or 124.2 miles and it currently holds around two million bottles.

The race was open to both amateur and professional runners with participants required to wear a head torch during the race.

Image: Milestii Mici Wine Run

At a depth of between 80 and 100 metres, the race attracted athletes from Romania, Russia, Poland, Switzerland, Ukraine, the UK and the Netherlands.

Participants could chose from three different packages: ‘Only Degustation’, ’10 km Race Standart’ and ’10 km Race+Degustation’.

In the cellars, traditional art, in the form of pictures and statues, was also on display, while outside, guests were treated to Moldovan wine, food and music.

Billed as “the only running race in Europe that takes place at a depth of almost 100 metres”, the race was hosted by sports organisation Sporter and advertiser 999.md in partnership with the Milestii Mici Winery.

‘”Instead of drinking wine at a table, why not run and then drink a glass of wine?” said the president of organiser Sporte, Dmitri Voloshin.