Sunday, September 13, 2026
ENTRIES ARE NOW OPEN FOR 2026!
Welcome to the Bacchus Wine Half Marathon and 10K, a celebration of award-winning English wine, fine food, fancy dress, music ... and a little bit of running. If you are not familiar with 'Bacchus' and have stumbled across this website, read on for details of what you can expect.
Although our ethos is very much that of a 'fun run', Bacchus is a still a real running race with all the trappings of a professionally organised event: a well-marked and well-marshalled course, fabulous medal, chip timing and full medical support. But in many ways the running is the least important part of the event. The course, which weaves in and out of Denbies Vineyard and sections of the North Downs, is stunningly beautiful but tremendously challenging. Fast times are difficult at best, but nigh on impossible if you stop and enjoy the wine, which really is the point of the day. If you are entering into the spirit of Bacchus the fancy dress will also hinder your progress to a fast time as it is quite difficult trying to run quickly dressed as a bunch of grapes, carrying an inflatable dinosaur or a viking sword and shield...
If you are running the Half Marathon, the main event of the day, you'll have six chances to sample a selection of wines grown and produced on the Denbies estate . The 10K runners visit two of the wine stops. In addition to the wines each drinks station will also be serving a selection of snack food - fresh fruit, cheese and biscuits, savoury snacks or a selection of deserts to name a few - often to the accompaniment of live music at various points on the course.. It is those aid stations which separate Bacchus from other events. They are to be savoured and enjoyed rather than to be rushed past at speed.. Far from running a PB, it is quite likely that Bacchus will be your slowest ever half marathon or 10K and you should be proud to admit it. We wouldn't want it any other way.
We don't have a hard cut off for the half-marathon but we do have tail runners who walk the course and are there to encourage those lingering at the aid stations - the wine will do that to you - to keep on moving. We don't pull people out of the event but the target time, which we give to marshals, medics and musicians, is to have everyone off the course and into the post-race party by 3pm. If you start in one of the earlier waves that means you have more than five hours for a half marathon.
If six wine stops are not enough, you'll have the chance to sample more food and wine (as well as beer and soft drinks) just after the finish at the legendary post-race party. As last year we will be serving pulled pork and a range of meat-free options. You can expect the music to go on long into the afternoon and early evening. One of the challenges of organising Bacchus remains encouraging everyone to go home!
The Half Marathon is limited to 1800 runners going off in six waves every 10 minutes from 9.30am onwards; the 10K has 1200 runners in four waves. We use waves to avoid too much over crowding at the drinks stations.. As the reputation of the event has grown so too has the demand for the places. The last three years sold out some weeks before race date, in 2025 we were closed by July. The early start waves always sell out first so the earlier you enter the more options you will have available.
