Running with wine? And yet it happens.
Tom Gilbey, a wine merchant, went viral on TikTok this week after uploading a video of himself secretly tasting a glass of wine during every mile of the London Marathon.
Speaking to The Guardian newspaper after the event, Gilbey said the marathon went “really well”, adding: “It’s the first time it’s gone so wrong and I’m honoured.”
In the video, Gilbey can be seen pausing to guess the wine’s variety, country of origin and vintage. He managed to guess seven correctly and fourteen almost correctly, while making four mistakes.
“It’s for a great charity”
Some of the wines Gilbey tasted were a 2018 Burgundy Pinot Noir at his first stop to a 2023 French Suav Blanc at his last stop.
“If it was good, I might swallow it, and if it was bad, hit the road”
Gilbey ran the London Marathon to raise money for Sobell House Hospice, which he said “nursed and looked after” his mother in her final days.
Speaking to The Guardian newspaper after the event, Gilbey said the marathon went “very well”, adding: “It’s my first experience of it going so wrong and I’m very honoured.”
“It’s just incredible and it’s great because that’s what it’s all about,” continued the man, who, according to the report, completed the race in four hours and forty-one minutes.
“It’s for a great charity, which is one of many hard-working hospitals.”
“I was completely exhausted”
As for how he avoided getting drunk or dizzy during the race, Gilbey said he only took small sips or spat out the wine after tasting it.
“If it was good, I might swallow it, and if it was bad, it went down the road,” he explained.
When the race was over, Gilbey told the Guardian he celebrated his feat with a glass of champagne.
“I was completely exhausted, completely absorbed, but it was such a great day and the atmosphere is so amazing that it’s indescribable, so really, it doesn’t matter how painful it is,” he said.
*With information from: People
